Going Rogue Trilogy
by Jack Cade
Summary: Rogue meets a man whom she can touch without coming to harm, but there is a secret hidden even from himself.
1. Going Rogue Trilogy - Carnival

~Disclaimer starts here~  
Let it be known that I do not own the X-men (gasp) and that I am using them without permission  
of the fine folks at Marvel(naughty, naughty, naughty). If at any time they wish me to remove my  
fanfiction (as if), then I will be more than willing to comply, but as my intentions are not to hurt  
them, their sales or any other aspect of their business, I doubt they will mind.  
  
All other characters are mine. The songs I will mention belong to their respective Companies.  
  
I want feedback, good or bad, and my E-mail is Jack_Cade@hotmail.com. This is the re-  
written story. You may find differences from this story since the last time that you read this, as I  
am reworking the whole story. Please read and review. Tell me if I have fixed the story or if I  
have only made it worse.  
  
Anything else? Oh yeah, if you have any major problems come to me and I will try to help, and  
I'd like to thank www.FanFiction.net for hosting this.   
  
One last thing, this is my own version of the X-men universe. It holds closely to the early X-men  
cartoon, but if you have a problem with my variations then deal. Okay? Then let's begin.  
~Disclaimer ends here~  
  
  
Going Rogue  
An X-Men Fan Fiction  
By Andrew Montgomery  
Part One: Carnival  
  
The X-Men had just returned from a rough battle against the mad Russian mutant known as  
Omega Red, when Jubilee picked up a paper to fish out the funnies. She came across a large  
advertisement announcing the arrival of a Carnival in a set of old fields just outside of West  
Chester, New York where they lived.  
  
After a quick shower and a change of clothes, Cyclops, Jean, Wolverine, Jubilee, Rogue and  
Gambit all left for the Carnival. The ladies took Rogues convertible while the guys took  
Wolverines jeep.  
  
Once there, they all took a look at a map and decided where they wanted to go. They were at the  
Northern Entrance, which opened on to the dirt road that led directly to the Square. The  
northeastern corner of the Carnival was speckled with Concession stands but the larger of those  
were in the Square. Mostly there were a few clowns running around.  
  
Gambit and Wolverine both got a good chuckle when Jubilee didn't see a clown until it was right  
in her face.  
  
One minute she was talking to Jean, the next she was getting an eye full of Bozo. Jubilee  
couldn't help but scream, she was so startled. The lanky teen under the make-up apologized to  
her profusely and began making a scene that drew the attention of the crowd.  
  
"I'm so sorry dear lady. I must apologize a thousand times before I can even begin to express my  
regret at having startled you like that." He slowly peeled off the small black hat. Holding the hat  
to his blue and white stripe shirt, he began to blink away crocodile tears. "I can not go on  
knowing that I have scared you like that. I shall give up my clowning days knowing that I can  
never ask your forgiveness. I shall put away my 'whoopee cushions' and my 'joy buzzers'. Never  
shall I wear phony rubber suspenders, regardless of my pant size." His yellow pants seemed to  
suddenly drop down to his knees regardless of the red suspenders.  
  
"Never shall I squirt my flower (which promptly squirted water at one of the onlookers), or  
squeak my shoes in this carnival ever again. I shall hang up my nose for good. Unless, that is,  
you can forgive me." With that the clown fell to his knees and waited for her response.  
  
Rogue motioned Jubilee over and whispered in her ear. Rogue had noticed how the giant left  
shoe seemed to have a trigger in the toe that was attached to the massive plastic flower on the  
clowns' chest.  
  
Jubilee turned to the clown and got him to stand up. Going in for a kiss, she adjusted the flower  
and hit the switch in the shoe to squirt the clown in the face. Instead of her lips, the teen got  
nothing but water. "Apology accepted." She said with a satisfied smile.  
  
The group left the clown, just standing there dazed. "Ah!" sighed the clown, oblivious of the  
draft from his lowered pants. "I think I'm in love." Regaining his senses he ran off to find some  
kids to entertain.  
  
"Damn it, kid. Where'd you learn a move like that?" chuckled Wolverine. It was obvious he was  
impressed.  
  
"When you got it, you got it." She said. This brought out a round of good natured laughter from  
the whole group.  
  
Once on the eastern edge of the Carnival, Gambit saw a pellet gun range with large stuffed  
animals dangling from the overhanging canopy. This brought out the competitive spirit out in all  
the guys.  
  
The object was to use the rapid-fire pellet rifles to cut out the little red stars. The challenge was  
simple in itself, but actually beating the game was not promising. The little white sheets had a  
small red star in the very center. No red could remain which meant that you had to be thorough,  
but you also had to be careful not to run out of your ammo.  
  
Scott and Gambit stepped up to the line and both paid for three turns. When all was said and  
done Scott, having cleared the star, handed Jean a medium teddy bear, while Gambit, who had  
left only the slightest piece of red star on the sheet, just stared in his hands at the key chain he  
had won for Rogue.  
  
"Whatsa-matta Cajun? That wee BB gun too much for ya's?" Taunted Wolverine as he placed  
down a twenty.  
  
"I'd like to see you do better Logan." Said Gambit slightly ticked, but still smiling.  
  
"Then open your eyes Gumbo." With that, Wolverine quickly examined the loaded pellet gun  
and noted that the sights were slightly skewed. The barrel was also slightly bent. Not enough to  
ruin the piece but enough to make the pellets slightly more difficult to aim.  
  
Taking it all into account, Wolverine, all but emptied the small rifle in six short bursts. Gambit  
looked at the star and saw the fine lines drawn around the star. In spite of the precision, Gambit  
smiled inwardly that the star was still on the sheet. Wolverine took a cigar out of his pocket and  
lit it with his zippo.   
  
The vendor approached the small sheet to change it, but before he could take two steps to it,  
Wolverine brought the rifle to bear and fired the last two pellets. The star was finally severed  
and began floating down. Amazed, Gambit examined the star and found that the last shot had  
gone straight through the middle. The over-awed vendor handed the largest bear to Wolverine  
along with the twenty bucks.  
  
"How'd you do that?" demanded Gambit.  
  
"I've worked a few carnivals here and there. I'm a carnie from way back." Wolverine handed the  
bear to Jubilee, whose eyes widened as she grasped the bear around the neck. It was almost as  
big as she was.   
  
Turning to the path before them, they worked their way along the games and concession stands.   
More than once Gambit's eye was drawn by a female figure or two.  
  
Eventually they made their way to the central square. Numerous rides reached to the sky.  
The Merry-go-rounds and Ferris wheels lit up the square, while the spinning cups threw out the  
sound of young teens shrieking into the night with joy.  
  
The rides filled the night air with laughter and merriment. Sounds that were a welcome change  
to the warriors ears. It was then that they heard the words that put them on full alert.  
  
"Mutant-scum!" cried an enraged man. The hate dripped from his voice like rain from the sky.   
"You will pay for tainting my girl."  
  
He fired a round from a magnum, which sent the crowd screaming to their knees. The bullet  
flew straight and true, knocking the denim-clad man to his back. The gunman ran forward  
keeping his gun trained on the strange mutant. He looked down and didn't see any blood on the  
white shirt.  
  
Throwing his hands up, the strange mutant grasped the gun and hand of the attacker in a death  
grip.  
  
Panicked, the attacker fired another five rounds at the mutant, calling him a 'monster', before the  
mutant kicked the man in the groin with such force that he went flying over the mutants head.  
Throughout the exchange, the X-men had tried to navigate the panicked crowd, but couldn't get  
close enough to help.  
  
Jean used her mental powers over the crowd to try to calm them somewhat, but had to stop due  
to the incredible strain.  
  
The mutant stood up and towered over the once-armed assailant and roughly picked him up. "I  
have done you no wrong, yet you want to kill me. You call me a monster, when it was you who  
fired a gun in a crowd. You could have killed anyone of these people. It isn't me that they are  
running from. It's the gun-wielding maniac."  
  
The attacker looked around and saw that it was the truth. "But... my daughter..." said the man as  
he sucked in a few breaths.  
  
"Yes?" asked the man in denim. "I will assume you are Mary's father. You don't know Mary  
very well do you?"  
  
The man was only enraged at the mutants words. "I know my daughter well enough!" He  
quickly had the gun reloaded and was pointing it at his quarry, if not somewhat shakily.  
  
Jean used her telekinetic powers to hold the hammer back before the pistol could fire.  
  
The unknown mutant grabbed a heavy metal guide rail and tied it around the gunman. Then he  
loaded the man into the nearby ferris wheel and sent him to the top where he couldn't hurt  
anyone. Turning, the mutant came face to face with the X-men.  
  
"I don't think the police are going to be too happy with having to deal with a mutant, so what do  
you say we give you a ride out of here." Offered Wolverine. The stranger accepted and  
introduced himself.  
  
"I am Jack Cade, at your service."  
The others introduced themselves and Jack joined them. The seven of them hurried out the gate  
to the two cars.  
  
Before, Jubilee could put her bear in the car, Jack asked for it and pulled a black garbage bag  
from his belt pouch. During the exchange between Jack and the gunman, the bear had landed in  
a mud puddle. Handing the bag with a dirty bear, head and shoulders poking out, to Jubilee, he  
raced to Wolverines' jeep and climbed in. Together the two vehicles raced away.  
  
Wolverine pulled up to the Mansions main entrance and drove through he gates. Jack read the  
ornate metal plate bolted to the stonework. 'Xaviers School for Gifted Youngsters. 444  
Greymalkin..." something or other. The plate was wearing out and the light wasn't exactly the  
best for reading.  
  
The interior of the school was large and spacious.  
  
Professor Xavier met them at the door in his wheel chair. "Welcome Mr. Cade." Said Xavier,  
extending a hand. "I am Charles Xavier. Welcome to my school."  
  
"It's a pleasure sir." Said Cade awkwardly.   
  
"I was told of the incident at the Carnival by Jean here and would like to ask you a few questions  
if you don't mind." The Professor's motorized wheelchair turned and hummed its way into a  
drawing room off the main hall.  
  
"Sure, but there isn't that much to tell. A man got reckless with a gun because I'm a mutant and,  
with any luck he'll have been arrested." Jack looked down at his shirt and saw the six holes and  
a brown stain from the hot gunpowder. Reaching under his shirt he picked a few squished metal  
slugs out and then tucked his shirt back in again.  
  
Professor Xavier explained about the X-men and what the school was all about.  
It was a good hour later, when Jack had heard the Professors whole spiel. "So you want me to  
join your X-men?" Jack asked.  
  
Professor Xavier nodded. "I understand that it is a bit much to ask for you to decide so I invite  
you to stay the night and we'll see if we can't convince you further tomorrow."  
  
Getting up quickly, Jack stared down into Xavier's eyes. "Do you truly believe that Mutants and  
Humans can live side by side?"  
  
Xavier didn't even hesitate. "Yes, I do. Do you?"  
  
Smiling slightly, Jack's eyes twinkled a moment. "I don't know. But I'll say this much. It'll be  
interesting to find out."  
  
Xavier watched as Jack walked to the door. "Why?" asked Xavier. It was clear that Xavier was  
referring to Jack joining.  
  
Pausing at the door, Jack answered without turning. "Sometimes, we are called on to do  
something, to fight for a cause bigger than we are. I believe that this is a right and just ideal. If  
we don't fight for it, who will?"  
  
Professor Xavier watched as Jack left the room. There was something about this guy, that Xavier  
liked, but he didn't know what it was. Picking up the phone, the Professor had a room prepared  
for Jack and scheduled a series of tests by the resident scientist, Hank McCoy a.k.a. Beast.  
  
Jack looked around the front hall and saw the teddy bear still in it's bag. "What are you looking  
at?" he asked the bear. It just sat there looking at him.  
  
"Well, let's see if we can get you cleaned up." Jack saw a tall african woman walking by and he  
asked her where the washroom was. Following her instructions, he found it and removed the  
bear from it's bag. He carefully spent the next ten to fifteen minutes cleaning the bear till it was  
as good as new.  
  
Well, now that he was done that task, he was rapidly getting bored. It was then that he got an  
idea. Five minutes later it was set up and all he had to do was wait. Not five minutes later, Jack  
saw Cyclops go into the washroom.  
  
Cyclops entered the washroom and saw a form on the toilet. His brain didn't register that it was  
the bear, just a massive blue furred thing holding a paper. "Oops sorry Beast." He said quickly. It  
was then that he actually saw what it was. It was the bear with a newspaper clipped to it's hands  
and a pair of sunglasses on the nose.  
  
Jack turned and headed the opposite direction, whistling all the way.  
Cyclops rolled his eyes and called Jubilee. She came right away and saw the bear. Laughing  
quietly, she thanked him for cleaning the bear up.  
  
The next day Jack began his training in the Danger Room. His first test was against a single  
stationary robot. Turning to the observation deck three stories above, he called out to Dr.  
McCoy. "What am I supposed to do? Just fight the thing?"  
  
"You got it. Program running in three... two... one... Now!"  
  
Right on cue, Jack spun, fired a punch at the robot's chest and watched the thing fly into the far  
wall. It flew apart on contact and fell to the ground across the room, nothing more then scrap.  
  
"Got any more?" asked Jack. "I don't think I got it right." The next two robots came out and were  
programmed to move around. They took up random positions five feet away from Jack. In less  
than three seconds one joined it's fallen friend on the far side of the room, while the other hung  
half way through the main window of the observation deck.  
  
Without warning a pair of simulated Sentinels appeared, and soon disappeared in the same  
manner as the three smoking scrap piles. Hank decided to put Jack up against other X-men.  
Rogue, Gambit and Cyclops volunteered. Beast watched as his readings picked up Jacks  
brainwaves. He double-checked the readings. Jack wasn't even breathing hard, and according to  
the look on his face, he wasn't taking this seriously. 'Yet' he added 'Wait until he sees the x-  
men in action.'  
  
Seeing the three live opponents, Jack decided to chuck his jacket. Now the fun was really going  
to begin.  
  
"Hey Doc," called Jack. "Can you throw on that cd I gave you?"  
  
Jack slipped his shades on his head as Linkin Park filled the room..  
  
Jack struck a martial arts pose and waited for the others to attack. Cyclops fired a few light  
blasts from his visor, while Rogue buzzed Jack. Jack dodged the optic beams, and ducked under  
Rogues aerial attacks, while staying away from Gambit's charged playing cards. The smug look  
was no longer on his face, but his smile refused to give up.  
  
"This is so cool!" exclaimed Jack as he was backed into a wall. "But it is better to give than to  
receive." Suddenly, Jack changed tactics from retreating, to attacking. Jack Cade launched  
himself into a high jump and knocked Rogue into Gambit, while landing in a crouch to avoid  
Cyclops optic beams. Jack got up and grabbed Cyclops, only to get thrown to his back.  
  
Rolling back, Jack brought himself to a point where he could use his strength to flip himself to  
his feet. A quick reverse cyclone kick sent Cyclops to the floor a few feet away.   
  
Jack then faced Gambit and Rogue who had both recovered. Gambit and Rogue split up and got  
Jack between them, when they both charged.  
  
Jack caught Gambits thrown card and threw it back. Rogue continued her advance and picked  
Jack up. Jack was being driven towards the wall. Jack twisted his wrists and managed to slip out  
of Rogues grasp.  
  
He landed quickly and leapt onto Rogues back. Covering her eyes with his hands, she screamed  
when his skin touched hers and he jumped off landing in a dive roll.  
  
Rogue landed several feet away. "Never touch me!" she said violently.  
  
"What? What did I do?" Rogue flew out of the room before Jack could get an answer.  
  
"Whenever Rogue comes into contact with someone, she absorbs their energy and in the case of  
Mutants she will temporarily gain their powers. She has no control over them, so she has been  
confined to a body suit to avoid accidental contact with her team members." McCoy was a little  
sympathetic to Jack who hadn't known. "People who touch her are severely weakened and  
almost all enter into a comatose state."  
  
Jack raised an eyebrow. "I don't feel weakened. Why wasn't I weakened?" asked Jack.   
  
"A good question" came his response. "Perhaps you weren't in contact long enough or it was just  
a brushing contact. Either way, I would advise against a repeat performance."  
  
Later that day, after Rogue had calmed down, Jack approached her. She was a little ashamed of  
her reaction to Jack.  
  
"Rogue," he asked timidly. "You okay?"  
  
"Sure thing, sugah." She looked down at her cup of coffee. "I guess you heard about why I  
reacted the way I did. I'm sorry."  
  
Something clicked in his head but he didn't know just what. "Nah, don't be." he said easily. "I'm  
the one who should be sorry. I had no right to..."  
  
"Jack?" asked Rogue.  
  
"Yeah? What can I do for you?"  
  
"I cannot control my powers. You should have been in a near coma. Why aren't you?"  
  
Jack thought for a moment. "How good are the medical facilities here?" he asked finally.  
  
Rogue didn't follow his train of thought for a moment. When she did she wasn't sure what to  
think.  
  
"Why?" she asked hoping she was wrong.  
  
"Well, I was thinking that under a controlled environment, with the Doc on hand, we could test  
this out. Since my powers came to me, I have been impervious to any attack. I haven't had the  
need to sleep, and though uncomfortable, I can go without air or food indefinitely. I would guess  
that my energies, would be near infinite, or at a level where they run naturally high. Either way if  
we touch, I'll probably be alright and the first sign of trouble, you can back away, if I can't."  
  
"I don't know." She said, shocking herself with even considering such a thing. "The first time I  
ever kissed a boy, he was in a coma for three weeks."  
  
"Well, I always wondered how hospital food tasted." Joked Cade.  
  
It took a while but finally she agreed.  
  
In one of the labs, Jack lay on a table. Having his vitals read as he chatted with Jubilee. Finally  
Hank finished the testing just as Rogue arrived.  
  
Jack saw her walk slowly into the room. Jubilee walked by her, ushered out the door by Beast.  
As she turned to say goodbye, the last thing she saw was Rogue taking off one of her gloves.  
  
She took a few steps down the hall, when she realized what was going on.  
  
She took off at a run.  
  
Jack raised his hand and waited for Rogue to initiate contact.  
  
Jubilee found pretty much everyone in the rec room. "You won't believe what I saw."  
  
Rogue's hand wavered only a moment before drifting the final two inches towards the hand of  
the man on the table.  
  
Everyone charged from the rec room to the lab where McCoy was outside, watching the  
proceedings on the external monitors.  
  
Gambit looked over Beasts shoulder.  
  
Rogue was sitting on Jack's lap. Her head was on his shoulder. And by the way her back moved,  
she was crying hard. A smile graced her lips. She was no longer alone.  
  
She had given up hope of ever being able to feel another human hand on hers. She had given up  
ever having a normal relationship. But now, the fate she had resigned herself to was fading  
away. Here was someone with whom she could connect with physically.  
  
Jack gently stroked her hair and held her for a while. She had been hurt and alone. Never again  
would she have to be alone. He whispered in her ear that all was going to be right. "Hey, now  
you will finally get a good arm wrestling opponent." That brought a tearful laugh.  
  
Jack continued to shush her till she had cried herself out. "Now, let's go outside." he said.  
  
When they went outside, the hall was empty and the external monitors were off.  
  
Jack went to find Hank, while Rogue went to her room to shower and freshen up. When Rogue  
got out of the shower, she found an envelope had been slid under her door. What she saw inside  
brought out a cry. Throwing it down, she fell across her bed and cried, not in joy but in sorrow.  
  
Inside the envelope she found three playing cards. One the Queen of hearts, a Jack of hearts and  
the last was a King of clubs, ripped in half.  
Going Rogue  
  
Part Two - The Edge  
  
Jack wandered outside having given up looking for Beast and ended up on a lawn chair by the  
pool, just taking in the beautiful view of the heavens. The stars seemed brighter now and Jack  
felt safe and content in this place. He was happy for the first time in a long time and it surprised  
him. Searching for a reason, Jack discovered he was coming up with only one.  
  
'Rogue'. He couldn't even think of her without smiling. But he was struck by an idea that turned  
his joy into worry.  
  
Rogue had gone for years without any human contact. She had allowed herself to accept this as a  
permanent state. Now that he was here, she might fall in love with him.  
  
He'd be willing to accept it, but not just because they COULD have a relationship. He had to be  
sure it was for the right reasons.  
  
Jack got up, the stars now fading once more to the background of his mind. Jack turned to find  
Jubilee walking towards the pool. "Hey Jack, would you mind watching me as I go for a swim."  
  
"I guess." Said Jack as he sat back down. Jubilee dropped her towel and jumped into the pool,  
her one-piece swimsuit a nightmarish collage of yellows and purples with hints of red here and  
there.  
  
Jubilee asked for a diving ring that was on a table near Jacks chair. Jack reached for the rubber  
ring and tossed it into the pool.  
  
Jack watched over Jubilee until a sound reached his ears. Walking over to the pool Jack  
motioned Jubilee over and told her to go inside and act normally till she was out of sight. Jack  
then sat back down and waited before giving her a discrete signal, listening all the harder.  
  
He heard it again and was up like a shot. Running at full speed he leapt onto the hidden intruder.  
A mass of yellow hair and animal eyes threw Jack off of him with a growl. Rolling to a stop,  
Jack was a full ten feet away from the massive mutant.  
  
Jubilee gave a start as she recognized the beast-man as one of the most dangerous mutants that  
they had ever faced.  
  
Sabertooth was a full head taller than Jack, but Jack felt no fear. Slipping on his shades, Jack  
chucked his leather jacket and struck a fighting pose.  
  
"Ah-haa," laughed Sabertooth "You're new here aren't you?" He didn't wait for a response. "I can  
tell you haven't heard of Sabertooth yet. I can smell the fear on the others when I fight them. I  
will kill you first, then I'll have fun with the little one."  
  
"The reason you don't smell my fear is because I have yet to see someone I should be afraid of."  
Jack recognized the cockiness in his own voice, and knew that it would only anger the blond  
giant before him.  
  
"You talk big, little man. But let's see you stand after you have fought me. I'll break your legs  
like sticks."  
  
"Big talk from a small brain. Now shut up and fight." Growled Jack.  
  
The two of them came together in a storm of fists and feet. Jack knocked Sabertooth down first  
and drew first blood by splitting Sabertooths' lip. But the cut healed itself quickly enough.  
  
The sound of the concentrated battle reverberated against the walls, rolling across the expansive  
lawn.  
  
Jack continued fighting never giving an inch until Sabertooth lunged forward and grabbed Jacks  
throat, squeezing it with all his might. Jack only smiled as he continued fighting with out air.  
Sabertooth was surprised to find that Jack was fighting just as hard. Jack maintained his own  
ferocity until Sabertooth slammed Jacks head into a particularly strong tree.  
  
Jack was summarily dropped to the ground and dismissed as a threat.  
  
Sabertooth then looked at Jubilee and called over his shoulder. "Now I get to have my fun with  
the little one." Licking his lips, Sabertooth took two steps before Jack stood once again  
  
Something seemed to snap in Jacks mind. Silently he stood and lunged forward. Before he had  
been fighting to detain. Now his eyes seemed to cloud over and go completely white.  
  
One word managed its way out between his gritted teeth. "Die!" Jack felt the strong bones  
beneath Sabertooths skin snap like twigs with each attack, first the right arm, then the left. Jack  
pummeled Sabertooths chest busting every rib and finally a straight hit sent bones through  
Sabertooths heart, a wound that even he couldn't recover from. Jack just stood there and towered  
over Sabertooth. When Sabertooth's dead body refused to get up, Jack tilted his head back and  
roared in rage.  
  
By now the alarm had been sounded and the X-men were arriving, ready for action. Jack leapt up  
a tree. His form could be seen silhouetted against the moon. Xavier looked at the dead body and  
then up at the man in the tree. He discovered it futile to send a telepathic message to Jack.  
Somehow he just wasn't getting through. Turning to Jubilee, he got the full story from her.  
  
She was in a partial shock. If Jack hadn't stopped Sabertooth, she was sure she would have  
been... She began to cry as the fear at what had almost happened came to her.  
  
Rogue looked at the body of Sabertooth. She then flew up to Jacks side and sat tentatively on a  
branch below his own, well aware of Gambit's eyes on them.  
  
Jack looked at her with a wild look in his eyes. Then the look faded away and Jack was once  
again right in the head.  
  
Looking down at the body, he seemed to want to say something but yet couldn't.  
  
Finally Rogue flew to his branch and embraced him. Jack stiffened and seemed unsure of what  
to do. Jack finally spoke. "He would have hurt her, wouldn't he?" Rogue only nodded.  
  
"And killed her? Or worse?" The southern-belle whispered a yes.  
  
He seemed to accept it and together they sat watching the moon as it rose over their heads. Jack  
looked over, what seemed to be hours later, and saw that she was asleep, with her head on his  
shoulder.  
  
Jack carefully held her as he slowly crawled down the tree. Carrying her to the mansion, he got  
directions to her room from Cyclops who was waiting to have a word with Jack. She was placed  
on her bed and Jack brushed a strand of hair from her face. Slipping out of the now darkened  
room, Jack placed a finger to his lips and together they went to the library where a couple of  
police officers were waiting.  
  
The police asked Jack what had gone on. Jack then gave a brief description of the incident.  
Then, he went into greater detail until the point where he just lost it. He was barely aware of  
what he was doing. All he knew was that Sabertooth needed to be stopped or else an innocent  
would be hurt. He had to stop Sabertooth no matter the cost.  
  
Turning to Cyclops they asked him where Jubilee was. He handed them a sheet of paper with  
Jubilees side of the story. She was in her room and waiting to be spoken to. Cyclops asked if  
they could keep it all as brief as possible. She was shaken up quite a bit and had been given a  
sedative to calm her.  
  
She was still in her room when Cyclops checked in on her. She was still slightly sedated. The  
medication was giving way to her exhaustion from the excitement.  
  
"Hey, kid." Said Cyclops gently. "How are you feeling?"  
  
"Okay, I guess." she said unconvincingly. "How is Jack doing?" the concern in her voice was  
apparent. Though she wasn't exactly her most articulate.  
  
"He's a survivor. He was shaken up but he's moving on from it, or trying."  
  
Jubilee heard movement by the door. "Is that...?" Cyclops only nodded. Jack was nervously  
pacing outside, looking for word that she was going to be okay.  
  
"Jack?" she called.  
  
In an instant he was in the room and looking for a sign that she was going to recover from this  
incident. "Jack... thanks. I..." Jubilee seemed to have trouble speaking, and Jack knew it was  
probably the medication.  
  
Smiling Jack waved it off. "I just couldn't let him get his ugly mitts on you. You asked me to  
watch over you and I will continue to be there until you say otherwise. Okay?"  
  
Smiling, Jubilee drifted to sleep.  
"C'mon" said Cyclops. "We'd better go. I'll ask Jean to stay with her tonight."  
  
Jack went to his own room and allowed himself to take a snooze for a few hours until sun up.  
His sleep was filled with visions of what might have happened had he not been there. Jack  
awoke with start as the clock on the wall chimed softly that it was seven a.m.  
  
Quietly, Jack snuck out his window and dropped the two stories down to the grass below. Once  
there he made his way to a secluded spot where he began to practice his martial arts working out  
the tensions built up by a night of horrors. By eight thirty he was moving at high speeds through  
complex drills.  
  
He eventually returned to the patch of grass below his window and launched himself up to the  
window ledge. He slipped back inside and showered before going downstairs in a more  
conventional manner.  
  
Once there, he was told that Rogue and Jubilee had gone into town to do some shopping. Jack  
was asked if he wanted to go in with Cyclops and Jean. Jack thanked them and in an hour, they  
were pulling up to a large mall. Jack agreed to meet them in the food court in a little bit. Jack  
then went to a phone and called in to work.   
  
"Yeah, it's me Jack. Listen, I wont be returning to work." "Yeah, I know it's rather sudden Frank  
but..." "Yeah, you could say there is a woman involved." "I know, but I go where I am needed. I  
just feel I am needed here more." "Hey, You know I'll be there when you need me." " I just need  
to do this okay?" "Cool, I'll see you around. And give Angela a big kiss for me okay?" With that  
he hung up the phone and walked away.  
  
Jack went into a music store and began looking around. He had been saving up for a guitar for a  
while and decided to pick one up. He picked up a few and found one that was a very comfortable  
weight. He tuned it up and began strumming away. Over the store's amps he began to play with  
more than a little talent.  
  
Jack began playing a Metal tune he had heard. It was 'Raise the Hammer' by a group called  
Hammerfall.  
  
In walked Jubilee, who had been practicing the drums back at the mansion. She sat down at the  
nearest demonstration set and together they gave a small concert that blew the patrons and staff  
away.  
  
When they finished up and Jubilee slipped the sticks back in their little pouch, hanging from one  
of the support bars.  
  
Jack paid for the electric blue instrument and bought a handful of picks. The sales clerk  
informed them that the guitar came with a carrying case with shoulder strap. He ran into the  
back and got it for them while they waited.  
  
Rogue waited for Jubilee and Jack outside the store, having heard the two play.  
  
"Jack, what are you doing here? I thought you were back at the mansion."  
  
"Well, I thought that I would join Cyclops and Jean on their shopping trip." Said Jack. "Besides  
who wouldn't find their way to two beautiful women who have obviously been spending a small  
fortune or two." Jack was curiously eyeing a mass of bags with a raised eyebrow and a gentle  
smile. He slipped his guitar case over his shoulder and helped the ladies by carrying their bags.  
Rogue was more than strong enough, but Jack was doing his best to be a gentleman.  
  
Suddenly Rogues cell phone went off.  
  
Taking the call, her face went stone cold. Xavier had just heard on the news that a bomb threat  
had been phoned in for the very mall they were all standing in. She was to call Jean on her phone  
and everyone was to meet together and initiate a full search.  
  
Rogue hung up and relayed the message to Jack. He immediately began to check the stores at  
one end of the mall. Rogue, Jean, Scott and Jubilee all performed a search but were coming up  
empty. They all checked in and agreed it wasn't in any of the stores or located on a certain  
facility. Getting and idea Jack asked how much more psychic scanning, Jean could handle.  
  
Jean was still doing okay, though the strain was beginning to be felt. Jack had her scan the mall  
for anyone in a high state of agitation. It was close to a hundred people. But then Jack had Mall  
security personnel at every stairwell and elevator in the mall. Three people stood out overall.  
They were all on the fourth floor and gathered at one end. The mall security guards stayed in  
place and Cyclops, Rogue and Jack all made their way to the uppermost floors. Jean followed  
close behind and they began letting people off the floor. Till there was only three people left.  
  
Jack cracked his knuckles and got ready for a run. The three people faced off against the X-men.  
When they saw that they were in for a fight, they all reached for their detonators. Cyclops fired a  
pair of optic blasts at the trigger wires on the first two bombers. The third grabbed his and  
shouted "For the Friends Of Humanity!"  
  
Jack, wide eyed, launched himself forward and was a good three feet away when the Bomber  
pushed his panic button. The only thing stopping the bomb from detonating was Jeans telekinetic  
powers interrupting the charge from traveling down the wires. Jack continued running forward  
and drove the man into a display case. Jack ripped the bomb from the bombers chest and, upon  
seeing a timer counting it's way to detonation, flung it to Rogue.  
  
Rogue flew through a skylight and flung it into the sky high above her. Scott fired an optic beam  
and blew the bomb where it would do no damage.  
  
"Friends of humanity." Growled out Jack as he towered over the little man quivering on the  
floor. "How many innocents would have been hurt?" demanded Jack. The quivering man  
swallowed his fear for a moment but flinched when Jack grabbed him by his collar.  
  
Jack hoisted the man and dangled him over the railing. The man had an uninterrupted view of  
the ground floor.  
  
Cyclops walked up to him trying to talk Jack out of it. "C'mon Jack, don't do this. If you drop  
him you'll just make him right."  
  
"Back off Cyclops. This guy has already passed judgment on us, on all mutants." Jack gave the  
man a good shake. "Look down there, do you see any people down there?"  
  
The man could only nod his head. There was a crowd of people being moved out of the mall. In  
one clump of people, a child fell and scraped her knee. The mother came and picked her up  
along with a fallen teddy bear.  
  
"Are they mutant or human?" asked Jack. The man's face turned to look at Jack. He could only  
start to cry.  
  
"Are they mutant or human?" repeated Jack louder.  
  
The man just clenched his eyes shut all the tighter. Jack thought he saw the poor mans lips  
move.  
  
"I didn't catch that." Declared Jack.  
  
"I don't know." Said the man. "God help me, I just don't know."  
  
Bringing the man back over the railing, Jack carried him to the public washrooms. Dropping the  
man in front of one of the sinks, Jack grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and forced him to  
look into the mirror.  
  
"Now look into the mirror and tell me who here was going to hurt those people down there.  
Those people may be humans who hate mutants. Some may even be mutants who hate humans.  
But I'll tell you something. I'll bet you that few people would really hate anyone else if they  
actually knew the other."  
  
"You have seen mutants in the news who have robbed banks, who have gone on rampages. Now  
you tell me why all mutants are a menace, when only some are out there causing trouble. My  
friends and I are trying to build a world where humans do not fear mutants, and mutants do not  
fear humans. We have powers, which we are devoting to create this mutual goodwill, and to  
stopping those who would create a world where one is dominant over the other." Jack slowly  
released the man. "Nature will take care of itself. But we must take care each other."  
  
Turning the faucets on, Jack turned away from the man. "Now, clean yourself up. Do you know  
why I am letting you go instead of throwing you over that railing?" The man shook his head.  
"Because I will not be like you. If you're smart you won't be like you are either."  
Jack walked to the door and opened it. Before leaving, he turned and spoke. "And as far as the  
Friends of Humanity are concerned... I wouldn't pay any more visits to them. They are bad news  
for all involved"  
  
Jack walked out of the washroom and let the door swing shut after him.  
  
The man just sat there breathing a sigh of relief. Suddenly he was shaking, and a rage consumed  
him. 'What have I done?' he asked himself 'What have I done?' Slowly he curled up in a ball and  
stayed like that until the police arrived and took him away.  
  
Cyclops was more than a little upset with Jack and began yelling at him that he was out of  
control. Jack merely slipped his shades on his head, turned away and walked down the stairs to  
the ground level. He grabbed his guitar and slung it over his back. Jubilee who had been  
watching the stuff after they had located the bombers, watched him. "What's going on? Did you  
catch them?"  
  
"Yep." Said Jack offering a lopsided smile. Ruffling her hair with his hand, he told her to "Stay  
good." And with that he strode out of the mall. Jack walked onto the highway and began  
thumbing for a ride.  
  
Rogues convertible drove up and pulled over. "Need a ride, sugah?" Asked Rogue.  
  
Jack looked at her for a moment. "He's right you know. I'm out of control."  
  
"When I heard what you said to that man at the Carnival I knew I liked you. You were more  
upset with him for threatening others than any harm he may have done to you." Rogue got out of  
her car and walked over to Jack. "Then I saw what happened to Sabertooth. I saw how you had  
acted to protect Jubilee. You had fought for another with a ferocity that was not there when you  
were fighting for yourself." Rogue reached out and placed a hand on his arm. "I then saw you  
turn a zealot for the F.o.H. into someone who had agreed to become a government witness to  
take them down."  
  
"Don't you see, Rogue? When I held that man over the railing I wasn't just playing. I had wanted  
to drop him so bad that I could barely stand it. Given another chance, I'm not sure I would have  
done it the same way." Jack was a strong man and Rogue saw the struggle in his eyes until he  
turned, blinking, looking to the sky. Jack fell to his knees and cried for the first time since as far  
back as his memory would go  
  
Rogue crouched next to him and helped him to her car.  
  
"Let's go home." She said after she sat behind the drivers seat.  
  
Slowly they crossed the median and turned back towards town and Xavier's School beyond.  
  
Jack composed himself and silently observed the cars going by. Once they were pulling up to the  
schools main gates, a black motorcycle almost plowed into the passenger side door.  
  
Rogue swore under her breath. "Do you know who that was?" asked Jack.  
  
"That was Gambit." Said Rogue.   
  
"I wonder what's crawled up his shorts." Remarked Jack, but he didn't notice Rogue wasn't  
listening. She was still watching the bike kick up a large dust cloud as it rounded a corner and  
powered out of sight.  
  
Once inside, Jack asked if maybe the two of them could go out for dinner sometime.  
  
"Um, I don't think that now would be such a good idea, but maybe some other time. Okay  
sugah?"  
  
It was then that Jack began to see that she might have feelings for someone else. His thoughts  
that she might turn to him, because of their ability to come into contact returned, and he didn't  
want to have her hurt someone else.  
  
Rogue sensed a change in him as she politely turned him down. Jack nodded to her and said  
okay, but she felt like a barrier had been raised and she didn't know why.  
  
All the X-men were summoned to the War Room. The circular holographic emitter took up the  
center of the otherwise large room. The walls were lined by terminals and monitors, most of  
which were tuned to numerous major news networks.  
  
"Damn," commented Jack as he entered the room. "This sure beats my old Pong set from when I  
was a kid." Joked Jack. Jubilee looked at Wolverine for an explanation. "Way before your time  
kid." Smiled the Canadian.  
  
Cyclops obviously didn't want Jack to be there. Xavier sensed the tension and asked Jack to step  
outside for a moment.  
  
Jack went outside and tuned his guitar. He sat on the far side of the hall and began playing his  
guitar. Slowly he began playing 8Stop7's 'Uninspired'.  
  
He could hear what Scott was saying. He was talking about how Jack was skirting the edge. How  
he was going to hurt someone in the team. Jack could hear it all clearly.  
  
Jubilee could hear Jack playing in the hall and said that to Cyclops. Cyclops didn't get it at first.  
  
"If we can hear him through the door, and he's playing softly, how much do you want to bet that  
he can hear you. He almost left because of what you said. If he's really all that much of a danger,  
then this is the best place for him. We can teach him to use his powers better, to keep his temper  
under control right?" Jubilee's eyes searched out each of the faces in the room.  
  
"He's too reckless and one of these days he could hurt you or anyone else here." Maintained  
Scott.  
  
Wolverine stood up. "You said the same thing about me Cykes. Or would you like me to show  
you some hurtin?" with that Wolverine bared his claws. "Well, what'll it be pretty boy?"  
  
Xavier had had enough. "Scott your comments are noted and your feelings on the matter  
understood. However Jubilee is right. Here we try to help those like him, if he'll accept it. Now  
as for this problem between you and Wolverine, I want it set-aside for now. This is no time for  
you two to fight amongst yourselves. Jack will stay here with me and Jubilee while the rest of  
you go and deal with our latest problem with the so called F.o.H." Looking around, Xavier  
couldn't see Gambit. Dismissing the others, Xavier asked Rogue to stay back for a moment.  
  
"Rogue, where is Gambit?"  
  
"I dunno Professor. He's been rather cold towards me since,"  
  
"Yes?" prompted Xavier.  
  
"Well, it seems that Jack and I are able to touch with out Jack gettin' hurt like the others."  
  
"And how do you know this for sure?" asked Xavier.  
  
"Well, we... we sorta tested it in the med bay."  
  
Xavier sighed. "I see." Rogue couldn't bring herself to look in her teachers face. Xavier looked at  
his student and his chair slid forward until it was next to her.  
  
"I have taught you to use your powers to their fullest." He said, not as a teacher, but more as a  
father. "I have taught you to use your mind as a capable tool in as many situations as I could. I  
have never addressed the matters of your heart, for even with my psychic abilities, you must go  
as you see fit."  
  
Rogue drew strength from his words, yet feared his next question. "How do you feel for him?"  
  
Rogue looked at Xavier. She didn't know what to feel.  
  
"We will talk about this more, when you get back from your mission, if you feel like it." Said  
Xavier, calmly indicating that he understood.  
  
Rogue nodded and left.  
  
Within an hour, the Black Bird was roaring through the hanger, passing through the holographic  
covering in a cliff face not that far from the mansion.  
  
Jack sat in the war room watching the shrinking outline. "Good luck, Rogue. Be careful." Jack  
whispered at the monitor.  
  
Jack returned to the archives and scrounged everything he could get on the F.o.H.  
  
The blackbird closed in on the mountain fortress and pretty soon, the group was forced to split  
up. Wordlessly, Jean, Storm and Beast went one way, while Cyclops, Wolverine, and Rogue  
took the other.  
  
Jack however, had devoted his entire focus on the archives pulling up information on the Friends  
of Humanity. After a while, his hand slipped on a control and his file settings were reset to a  
save point.  
  
The new file covered the Genosha incident. Numerous photos and security footage hacked from  
the Genosha facility's hard drive filled the screen. Jack thought he recognized some of the faces,  
until one jumped out at him.  
  
Sifting through the two files, he found a definite relation between a man identified only as Trask,  
and one of his attaches who turned out to be Creed, son of Sabertooth.  
  
Picking up the phone, Jack dialed a number and Xavier came on the other end. "Sir, I think I  
might have something here, and if I'm right it might mean big trouble for the team."  
  
Xavier came down immediately and saw the information displayed. His eyes widening, he saw  
the problem. But could he tell his students in time.  
  
Xavier used the radio first and discovered that they had already arrived at their location. With  
that being the case they wouldn't have stuck around.  
  
Xavier went to the helmet sitting on the table. "Leave me, Jack. I'll tell them what you have  
shown me. Good work."  
  
Hesitating, Jack slowly left the room. Xavier sent the message to Jean to inform the others that  
they should keep their heads up.  
  
Before Jean could relay the message however, she was hit by a stun blast. Storm, seeing her  
friend on the ground rushed forward to attend to her. Storm cursed her instincts as she too was  
hit squarely in the chest with a stun beam.  
  
Beast rounded the corner just then and ducked back as two forms in the shadows stepped  
forward and collected the two bodies. Beast was shocked to see them both turn towards the light.  
Their eyes glowed with a blue light. Besides their eyes, they were nearly exact duplicates of Jack  
Cade. The lines of their faces seemed harder, but nonetheless the resemblance was distinct.  
  
They both took the women and were about to leave when one of them sensed Beast.  
Beast heard Jacks voice command him to surrender himself to the F.o.H.  
  
Beast knew that he couldn't fight them, so he began to run and contacted Cyclops with the throat  
mic. "Cyclops, they have taken Storm and Jean."  
  
Cyclops came to a complete stop. "Who?!" He demanded. Suddenly Cyclops and Wolverine  
heard Jack's voice, as cold as ice, come across the radio. "Intruders! Surrender now or suffer the  
consequences."  
  
Rogue turned to her companions and wished she had brought her radio with her.  
  
Beast ran to the entry point and just as he was about to leave, a massive yellow beam struck him  
square in the back. Beast flew forward and Cyclops was the first to reach his fallen friends side.  
  
Beast groaned and lost consciousness. The first two 'Jack's were soon joined by four others.  
Together they began to systematically cover the field, triggering remote security precautions.  
  
Cyclops fired blast after blast at them, and finally struck the mountains rock face, causing a  
massive boulder to crush one of the replicas.  
  
The strike had hit the Jack's head and knocked it to one side forcing it to shoot a second Jack and  
destroy it.  
  
Rogue began flying to retrieve the Blackbird. Suddenly spinklers were triggered and Rogue had  
strange chemicals hit her eyes. "Ahhhh!" she screamed. "Ah can't see. Ahhhhhhhhhh!" The strain  
became too much for her and the second part of the chemicals in the spray took effect by  
knocking her unconcious.  
  
Wolverine saw Rogue go down and charged to her side. Being careful he picked her up and ran  
for the blackbird.  
  
Rogue was laid gently on the couch as Wolverine took the pilots seat. He flew in low and picked  
up the Cyclops who was carrying Beast. In the end Cyclops was given a sedative to stop him  
from charging back out onto the field. He just pounded the window weakly crying out Jean's  
name.  
  
Before Cyclops gave in to the sleep, he made a vow to himself. He didn't know how he was  
involved, but Jack would pay for this and pay dearly!  
  
Going Rogue  
Part 3  
  
The Blackbird landed in it's hidden flight bay. Scorch marks from unknown laser cannons traced  
lines across the wing and the red lights on the walls were screaming their emergency message  
loud and clear.  
  
Gambit stood waiting as the powerful jet engines stopped pushing the plane forward.  
  
Charging from behind Gambit, Jack jumped to the planes side door, and found Rogue in  
Wolverines arms. Jack reached for her, but Wolverine quickly backed up a step, slung her over  
his shoulder, and bared his right claws.  
  
"Stay away, bub! or I'll carve you up into pieces so small, you'll be going to hell in zip lock  
bags." Wolverines intensity drove Jack back a step and out onto the edge of the hatch, as Gambit  
was still approaching with the mobile platform.   
  
Beast was still in severe pain from the strong blow to his back, and could only lurch from one  
point to another, seeking support. He could only bare his fangs and growl at Jack as he got up.  
  
The moment Cyclops emerged from the plane, he fired a powerful optic beam, which threw Jack  
against the wall of the hanger. Cyclops reoriented and was ready to blast Jack out the seal to the  
hanger, when Professor Xavier stopped him.  
  
"That's enough Scott! Take it upstairs and I'll speak to you shortly. Help Gambit assist Beast in  
the medical facility." When Scott Summers looked like he was going to argue. Xavier turned to  
him and said 'That's an order Cyclops.'  
  
Xavier looked at Jack and his chair glided over to him. "It looks like you have some explaining  
to do Jack. We seem to have a mystery on our hands and, whether you know it or not, you seem  
to be the key."  
  
In the war room, Jack watched helplessly as Rogue had to be led into the room by Gambit. He  
yearned to run up and help her himself but Xavier said that he was to stay put or else there may  
be a repeat of what happened in the hanger bay.  
  
Jack just sat there, returning his gaze to the ground before him, and waited agonizing moments  
for Xavier to arrive. Beast soon followed, walking in using a cane, and waited for Scott to  
appear.  
  
Finally Scott came in. Xavier just placed a hand on his shoulder before beginning the briefing.  
  
"Until now Jack, you have been kept in the dark about what happened during our last mission."  
Xavier said, the diplomatic tone in his voice showing more self control than he felt.. "I have  
been unsure how to proceed and that has yet to change. The only clear point in all of this is that  
we must act now, for if we don't there is no telling what might happen to our captured X-men."  
  
Xavier paused for a moment.  
  
"Beast since you were with Jean and Storm up until they were captured, I want you to tell us  
again what happened."  
  
Beast let out a pained sigh. Jack wasn't sure if it was the memory, the after effects "I was  
following behind them when they turned a corner in a darkened section. Jean seemed distracted  
and didn't know that Storm and I had stopped. Storm heard Jean cry out and ran around the  
corner only to be shot as well. I was further away and had enough time to look around the corner  
briefly to see two copies of Jack pick them up and carry them off. Before they took two steps  
however, they must have seen me, and they began firing at me. I ran out of there telling the  
others what happened, but I was shot before I could make it to the Blackbird."  
  
Jack's head shot up when Beast spoke of his copies. Jack couldn't believe it. It was impossible.  
Wasn't it? How could there be copies of him? Why? What was so special about him that  
warranted them? Could they be clones?  
  
"Is there any chance you could be mistaken? I mean did they look exactly like me?" Jack felt like  
he was in the middle of a nightmare. His desperation forced him to try for every way out of what  
ever was going on.  
  
"The lines to their faces were a little harder, but their voices were so close to yours that I  
wouldn't be surprised if they matched."  
  
Wolverine remained silent, quietly weighing the situation and saw the chips stacking against  
Jack.  
  
Cyclops just seemed too caught up with Jean's loss to give any more input beyond the fact that  
his Optic blasts had deflected off the Jacks just like they had in the danger room.  
  
Wolverine keyed up the video from the Blackbirds external camera. Jack was able to see Rogue  
being carried towards the Blackbird and then the wild panning as the jet spun towards the  
entrance. Jack watched as small robots collected the smoking remains of two of the Jacks. The  
remaining Jacks were firing their lasers from both their hands and eyes.  
  
As Jack watched the images of Cyclops carrying Beast towards the Blackbird, he was trying to  
figure out why someone would try to copy him. Jack watched as Wolverine and Rogue presented  
their reports. Jack was especially hurt when he heard from Rogue how his copies had hurt her,  
robbing her of sight. Jack then sat silently as she was led out of the room.  
  
Xavier had Beast prepare their x-ray machine to test a hypothesis. Jack lay on the table weighing  
his options. When he heard the machine go off, he decided to do all that he could.  
  
When Beast re-emerged from behind the protective shielding, Jack was gone and the door was  
still swinging shut. Turning to the wall Beast hit the alarm.  
  
Klaxons went off all over the mansion and Jack knew his time was limited. Running for the  
upper levels of the mansion, he found Rogue in her room alone.  
  
"I don't have much time." He said in a hurried whisper.  
  
"Jack!" exclaimed Rogue. "What do you want?" Her fear was evident, and it hurt him more than  
anything Sabertooth could have done.  
  
Doing his best to hide his pain, Jack went to the heart of the matter. "To tell you that I'm leaving  
for a little while. I have to go to that Facility and get some answers. Whoever is behind it may or  
may not know I'm here, but either way, they probably won't expect me to show up. I will do what  
I can to find out about the toxins used to take your sight. Perhaps Beast can assemble an antidote  
or something. Listen, I'll be back one-way or the other. I promise." With that Jack was out the  
door.  
  
Outside, he ran into Gambit who had been eavesdropping. "Take good care of her Gambit." Jack  
ran hard. Gambit ran into the room and checked to see if Rogue was okay.  
  
"Please Gambit," she pleaded with him. "Help him."  
  
Gambit assured her that he would act immediately but he couldn't help Jack. He couldn't help  
himself. He went out to the hall and called Cyclops telling him that Jack had said he was  
heading to the island.  
  
Jack was able to avoid the others as he made his way to the hanger but Cyclops was waiting on  
the flight deck.  
  
Jack ran for the nearest one-man jet, hoping to avoid any direct conflict, only to have Cyclops  
shoot it with his optic beams. Jack was knocked down by the blast, but he ran towards Cyclops  
with the hope of knocking the X-man unconscious.  
  
Cyclops, fueled by his hatred for Jack, felt his power raise. Training his visor on Jacks arm,  
Cyclops fired a blast that was so strong; it threatened to destroy the visor itself. The blast  
rocketed forward and struck Jacks arm just below the shoulder.  
  
It was then that Jack lost consciousness.  
  
Cyclops watched as the arm flew to the ground. The body part lay on the ground as the body  
continued to run. Jack's body picked up speed and passed Cyclops. Cyclops saw Jack jump out  
of the Hanger's open portal only to fly out of sight towards the mountain base.  
  
Cyclops walked over to the arm and examined it cursing himself for destroying the mini-jet.  
There was a small pool of blood from a plastic blood pack. Beneath the layer of artificial flesh  
and blood packs was a mass of wires and circuitry that went beyond the normal levels of  
technology. He had only seen this level of technology with the Shi'ar.  
  
Hitting his chest communicator, Cyclops called Xavier. "Our problem just got bigger and a  
whole lot more difficult sir."  
  
Jacks body flew silently across the waves as it went straight for the mountain. As it arrived, it  
was tracked by a dozen plasma canons. Jack flew unerringly through the maze of passages to a  
large grey vault filled with green tubes filled with an opaque liquid.  
  
Jack landed before the only man in the fortress who could repair him.  
"Ahhh! Yess! Come, child. You remember me don't you?"  
  
Jack merely nodded and rose before his creator. "You are back now, that is all that remains. You  
are a good boy, you know. I saw those people who came. I had thought that you would have  
come too, but only you know why not."  
  
Jack followed the old man through dozens of small hallways and rooms. Finaly, the old man  
opened up a small, ornately carved wooden box and removed the contents. It was a glove unlike  
any other on earth.  
  
"You know my young friend, I still have your birthing tube. I figure you might be able to be  
repaired. Please enter it and be your old self once again." The old man waited but Jack's body  
just stood there staring into space.  
  
Jacks creator sighed and ordered him to enter the tube. Jack entered and stood as the gelatinous  
mix oozed and bubbled up the interior, until the cell was filled. Nanites within the mix quickly  
began rebuilding the lost arm and replacing several pieces, particularly in the head and neck,  
where Sabertooth had attacked him. As he was repaired, Jack awoke once again within his body.  
  
"W-where am I?" he asked, unsure of himself for the first time in his life.  
  
"You are back in my lab my young friend. You were damaged and have been under particular  
stress so your system decided that it was time that you returned for repairs." The old man's voice  
was filled with patience as a father with a young child.  
  
"Who are you?" asked Jack.  
  
"My you are full of questions, aren't you my young friend?" The old man chuckled to himself.  
"Some things never change. I shall tell you all you need to know, for I am finally near the end of  
my road and you must learn the truth."  
  
With his repairs complete, Jack's Nanite-mix seeped into the floor of his tube and the plastic  
door swung open. Jack stepped from his tube and helped the old man to a stool that sat next to a  
cluttered workbench.  
  
"To begin with, I will introduce myself. My name, though different for each century I have lived,  
was originally Maelious Maximus. I was born in what turned out to be the second wave of what  
have come to be called Mutants." Maelious seemed amused by Jacks apparent confusion.  
  
"I was born on this planet in the year twelve thousand B.C." he said clarifying himself  
unsuccessfully.  
  
"Twelve thousand years before Christ?" asked Jack in an awed tone.  
  
"Well, it's not twelve thousand years before chocolate, kid." Maelious just laughed at the look on  
Jacks face.  
  
"As I was saying I was of the second wave. We were welcomed back then with mixed results as  
some considered us wizards, while others viewed us as demons. We were born to combat a  
threat to the planet at the time. Over the thousands of years there have been threats, and I have  
seen the rise and fall of mutants. Creatures of ancient mythology were mutants and not exactly  
what they are now perceived to be."  
  
"The Medusa was a young woman who turned people to stone by accident. She collected the  
victims in the hopes of returning them to their living state, but before she could, she was slain by  
some adventurer or other. The bull-headed minotaur was another mutant who was hired to patrol  
the great labyrinth. But once again after a while he too was slain. His powers had been to distort  
a mans perceptions so that he could be lost quickly, even in the simplest of mazes."  
  
The old man breathed a heavy sigh and took a sip of water. "I have been rambling again haven't  
I? Well, to make a long story short, there have been several rises in the mutant levels over the  
past few centuries. I, who have lived for fourteen thousand years, am ready to depart and take  
my place with my family in whatever spirit world exists for my kind. I have lived my years  
mostly in seclusion. You may read of them in my journals, which have been transferred to  
electronic storage. I leave them to you."  
  
"Please Maelious, I don't know what to do. My life is falling to pieces around me. You say I was  
made here? Then why do I remember growing with my family? I have a mother, a father, a  
sister, a dog that my parents named Sam. What is going on?"  
  
"Young man, I created your body here, but your mind was only partially programmed by me.  
You see, your body is the culmination of my work. I created you and your 'brothers' from  
centuries of study. I came across the ancient craft of a man known as Eric the Red. He was an  
alien from the race known as the Shi'ar Empire. I was able to obtain his technology and rework it  
to this level. However, I was forced to enlist the aid of a man known as Trask. He has two aides  
known as..."  
  
"Creed and Gyrich!" exclaimed Jack.  
  
"Very good. You see, they stole some of my earlier work and created the mechanical monsters  
known as the Sentinals. In addition, they have taken my current androids and created copies of  
famous mutants known for their mass destruction. You fought their copy of Sabertooth, but they  
have now completely commandeered my research. My goal was to create guardians who would  
protect both humans and mutants from the normal problems such as crime and disease. Of all  
my creations I was only able to keep you safe. They took your image and created a dozen evil  
copies. They have polluted my work and now they can take control of the world. I thought that  
the best way to hide you was to release you into the world." Maelious looked into his folded  
hands and took a moment to gather himself.  
  
"I took the memories from a 'volunteer' and implanted them in your hard drive. I then modified  
them a bit, allowing you to live your own life. I have your real memories on a safety lockout that  
will be released the moment you integrate the glove into your systems. I will be able to give you  
your full abilities, but I am afraid that you will now no-longer be safe. They have learned of you  
and they are on a rampage."  
  
"Maelious, I have only three things to ask of you. First, do you know of the two women who  
were here before? Their names are Jean-Grey and Storm."  
  
"I do Jack, but if your want is to save them then do so quickly. They are going to be executed in  
the morning." Jack blanched at the thought.  
  
"I need to be able to get in and out of here quickly, can you give me a map or something for the  
base. They must be rescued, even if it costs me my life." Of this Jack was adamant.  
  
Maelious seemed surprised at something and caressed his glove one more time before giving it  
to Jack. "It has been programmed with everything you will ever need, and will act as a magnifier  
for your hand mounted beam weapons."  
  
Looking at his hands, Jack tried to guess what other kinds of powers were hidden from him.   
"Lastly, when the two women were taken from the team, one of the others was hit by some  
chemicals that have stolen her sight. Can you tell me how to give this back to her."  
  
"The chemical compounds used here are unique but all of them are on record in the glove.  
Please tell me one last thing, my child." Maelious Maximus stood and placed his hand on Jacks  
shoulder. "What emotions have you felt? Specifically, do you feel love?"  
  
Jack, though slightly confused tried his best to answer. "To tell you that I feel love is not  
possible, for I don't know what love is exactly. I doubt any man does. However, I think that I am  
in love with one woman in particular. She was the one who was blinded by the chemicals." He  
didn't feel that it was the answer the old man was looking for but it was the best he could do.  
  
Maelious looked at his creation, and smiled in wonder. "I don't know how it has come to pass. I  
created you. You are a mechanical creation similar to a watch or a blender. I never got around to  
the point, however, to give you an emotional imperitive. In normal circumstances, you should  
not have any emotions at all. But you have developed them on your own. You have joined the  
land of the living." Suddenly a light flashed overhead and Maelious told his son to go.  
  
"Leave and be well Jack. They are coming to collect me and unless I'm mistaken I will be killed  
in moments. Now go. If they see you, they will most likely destroy your companions."  
  
Jack hesitated only a moment. "You will forever be remembered...Father."  
  
Maelious watched as his son turned and ran for the door. Hearing them come from the right,  
Jack ran down the left passageway.  
  
Maelious calmly walked to his table and pulled forth a vial of swirling blue and red liquid.  
Popping the cork, he drank the contents. It was a slow poison, but one with no known cure. He  
smiled. Now all he had to do was keep them distracted long enough.  
  
Once down the path, Jack squirreled himself away in a small alcove. Slipping on the glove he  
tried to access it. Pulling it tighter, he wiggled his fingers a bit. A light glow illuminated the  
glove, but still nothing significant happened.  
  
Making a fist, he found a switch in the palm. Pressing it, he felt the world shift before going  
black.  
  
Jean-grey had come to in her small cell. It was just high enough that she could sit with her neck  
bent, or stand on her hands and knees. It was wide and deep enough for her to turn around, but  
not without difficulty.  
  
She could hear Storm talking to herself and the sound made Jean very nervous. Jubilee had told  
her stories of how Storm had cracked in the tight confines of 'The Box', back on the island of  
Genosha. Here there was a little more room, but Storms claustrophobia was not able to tell the  
difference.  
  
Storm was softly calling out for the elements to help her but once again they were no longer  
answering her most desperate pleas, due to the metallic collar around her neck. Jean could see  
Storms cell across the small passageway.  
  
Feeling her own neck, she found a similar collar that refused to yield to her own mutant powers.  
  
Curling up, Jean felt tears well up in her. With Storm effectively neutralized, Jean was alone and  
felt the weight of her situation. "Oh Scott, where are you? I need your strength."  
  
Two of the Cade units strode forward and shone a light on the two mutants revealing the fact  
that their uniforms had been removed and modest shifts had been draped over them. The two  
Cades spoke together, their words perfectly in sync.  
  
"MUTANTS JEAN-GREY AND ORORO MUNROE ARE TO BE EXECUTED IN FIFTY  
THREE MINUTES AND TWENTY NINE SECONDS. YOU ARE INSTRUCTED TO MAKE  
PEACE WITH YOUR RESPECTIVE DIETIES AS BEST YOU CAN."  
  
Turning they returned to their posts at the mouth of the passage.  
  
Just as the last flicker of hope seemed sure to be extinguished, Jean heard a strange sound.  
"Scott?" she cried out hoping that he was there.  
  
A Cade unit strode down the hall and addressed them both. "MUTANTS JEAN-GREY AND  
ORORO MUNROE ARE TO BE REMOVED AND RETURNED TO THEIR HOME, ONLY  
AFter we can get ol'one eye out here to pick us up. What do you say?"  
  
Jean stared in disbelief. "Jack? Is that you?"  
  
"About as real as I'm gonna get. Now put these on and get Storm dressed. We're  
bust'n'outa here and I have no intention of giving these scumbags a peep show."  
  
With that Jack ripped the cage doors off their hinges and helped the two women to their feet.  
  
Holding the glove over the lock on the collar, Jack released the two women and their powers  
from confinement. "Sorry, but bondage is just not my thing." Handing the two women their  
uniforms, Jack turned and stood guard.  
  
Jean used her powers to help Storm calm down and regain her senses. But they were not free  
yet.  
Jack kept the two collars and was joined by the two free, though dirty X-men. Together they ran  
for the beach and freedom. Just as they made it to their original entrance, now cleared of rubble,  
alarms went off. Jack knew that his glove had been killing the security systems as they passed  
by, but that meant that only one thing could have triggered the system. Maelious Maximus was  
now dead.  
  
Jack brought Jean and Storm outside, where they greeted the gently rising sun with exclamations  
of joy. Storm finally began to recover from her generally unresponsive state.  
  
Jack called up a map of the field and found a path off to the side, where they could obtain  
temporary cover until the X-men could save them.  
  
Secured, Jean began asking Jack about how he came to be on the island as well. Slowly he began  
to explain what had transpired relying on the condensed journals and what Maelious Maximus  
had told him.  
  
Jack began his story:  
  
A long time ago, a man by the name of Maelious Maximus lived. He   
was of the second wave of mutants ever known to the planet Earth.   
His generations of mutants were given much more crude, yet more   
extreme powers.  
  
He was granted great health to the point where he was virtually   
immortal.  
  
Each wave of mutants was born in response to a growing threat.   
One wave was born to destroy a massive meteor. Another wave was  
born to stop the world from exploding (Atlantis itself, home to a   
few thousand mutants, was sacrificed to stop the world from coming   
apart at the seams.)  
  
The powers had been accepted as magic or miracles, but either way,  
it soon began to terrify the regular humans. Mutants were hunted   
and killed until they began to create the image of darkness and   
mystery that today's civilizations have latched onto.  
  
Maelious Maximus, seeing a need for both humans and mutants to be  
protected, began studying and creating robotic beings from   
technology of an alien race. In today's day and age, he was forced  
to turn to humans for funding. Those humans stole some of his  
earlier designs and created the Sentinels. Then, later, after  
imprisoning him and forcing him to hand over more of his designs,   
he was able to save one of the final creations.  
  
I was sent among humans to hide and have wandered for six months.  
I met a young woman who was later killed because she had refused   
to tell the mutant haters where I was.  
  
The gentleman at the carnival then hunted me for three weeks until  
I met you.  
  
Those that had stolen my father's designs sent me a challenge. He  
came in the form of Sabertooth. That being that I fought was a   
low powered version of my brothers. They are the ones that had   
taken you captive. I was, at that time, unaware of their   
existence, and would have fought them with my life to have spared   
you the torment you have endured on my behalf.  
  
My brothers are unable to think for themselves as their central   
processors were reconfigured to accept the orders of those who   
stole their original plans.  
  
Jack finished his story as the sun drew a few degrees higher. Jean had sent word to Professor  
Xavier and he had dispatched the other X-men to pick them up.  
  
"Do you mean to tell us you are a robot?" asked Jean unbelieving.  
  
"What do you see in my mind?" asked Jack simply.  
  
"Xavier and I have been unable to scan your... My god! You were telling the truth! You are a  
robot." Jean stopped looking at Jack as a mutant and started looking at him as a robot.  
  
"What are your programmed imperatives?" she asked.  
  
"I was programmed to live my life according to my own discretions and to protect those around  
me."  
  
Suddenly there was a rustle of bushes and a twig snapped near by. Jean and Storm were ready to  
run immediately but Jack stopped them.  
  
"It is too late for that. We need some cover. Storm can you supply some?  
Jean, I read your file back at the mansion. Grab what rocks you can and be prepared to use  
them."  
  
Jack pulled his glove on tighter and his mind left his body for only a moment. Security cameras  
saw all twelve fully functioning robots. The two he had taken out by the cages, must have been  
repaired quickly.  
  
"Jack? What's wrong?" asked Jean.  
  
Silently Jack held a finger in the air and moved it in a circle. Silently he mouthed the word  
'surrounded'.  
  
Maintaining the silence, Jean asked where the nearest one was. With Jack pointing, Jean fired  
one of the rocks, with a powerful kinetic burst at the robot with the speed of a bullet.  
  
Jack used the glove to access weapon systems that he had been unable to access before and used  
the glove as a magnifier, so that the shot completely obliterated the robot. Unfortunately this  
started the other robots firing into the bushes. Thankfully Storm had called on a thick mist in  
order to mask their escape.  
  
Jack left a little surprise behind in their little hidey-hole. Suddenly, a small explosion flattened  
the shrubs. The mist quickly dissipated and the robots went in to examine the remains. All that  
they found were the remains of a single control collar.  
  
A dozen meters away, Jean and Storm ran down the beach using Jeans powers to hide their  
tracks and Storms mist to hide their progress.  
  
Jack however was running in the other direction. Accessing his flight program he picked up a bit  
of altitude and turned in mid air blasting a second robot.  
  
"Come and get me." He taunted coldly. Now with ten-to-one odds, Jack would have been  
nervous but he was mildly surprised that he felt no fear, or anger or desperation.  
  
The Cade units launched themselves at Jack with surprising speed. Jack dropped down to the  
ground and powered through some shallow trenches in the side of the mountain. The Cade units  
were faster however and they soon caught up. Three of the Cades paced Jack from outside of the  
trenches, while two flew ahead. The remaining five Cades entered the trenches.   
  
Jack accessed the schematics in the glove and found several air vents in the side of the  
mountain. He was on course for three of them. If any of them were big enough to fit in he could  
hide.   
  
Jack dodged a couple of blasts from the Cades trailing him. Powering up, he fired blasts behind  
him, not taking his eyes from his path. The robots easily dodged the blasts since they were not  
aimed, but in doing so they began ricocheting around in the trench.   
  
The first Cade finally blew which forced the second, which turned to avoid being damaged by  
the smoldering remains, to fly directly into the wall. It didn't survive either. The remaining three  
diverted out of the trench, passed the billows of smoke, and then re-entered pursuing their  
quarry.  
  
Jack flew up the trench, finally coming to a stop and then ducking into the air vent. Just as he  
ducked in, the two Cades heading him off and the three still trailing him met right at the  
entrance.  
  
Now they had speed but not maneuverability. Even so, with their robotic skill, the Cade units  
flew on their sides and passed with precision that would make stunt fliers wince.  
  
Unfortunately, the vent was not big enough for Cade so he returned to the trench and flew on to  
the next entrance.  
  
He was able to destroy one more Cade unit before slipping into the second vent. This time it was  
big enough for him to fit.  
  
Jack slipped into the passage and ran towards the lab where Maelius had greeted him. Ducking  
into the birthing tube, Jack ran the system by remote. His power levels were beefed up and his  
propulsion was boosted. However, as he was leaving the tube, Jack saw Maelious lying on the  
floor.  
  
Quietly, Jack picked the body up, wrapped it in a white sheet and flew out the window. Turning  
to the beach, Jack saw the Black bird lift off and come to a stop, hovering thirty meters away.  
Jack saw Storm and Jean in the open hatch. Jack flew over and landed inside the hatch.  
  
Gambit walked over and looked at the man Jack had brought in through the door. "Why bring  
the dead man? You should know we cannot help him here. We..."  
  
Jack lept to his feet and held Gambit two feet off the ground. "They killed him, Gambit. He died  
to give ME time to rescue YOUR teammates and get the cure to ROGUES blindness. I say he  
deserves to be buried as far away from that place as possible and I would not leave him there.  
So, if you have any more problems wait until he's in the ground and we can fight it out then. Or  
we can see how well you fly now." With that Jacks free hand hit the button to open the hatch.  
The explosive force didn't even faze Jack. "What'll it be?"  
  
Jack took Gambits frantic scrablings as an agreement to keep his distance until the body was  
buried. Jack knew that the two of them would fight, but until Maelious was buried, Jack would  
not feel a thing.  
  
Closing the door, Jack dropped Gambit on his rear and returned to his place next to Maelious.  
  
Jack placed his glove near the portable computer on the black bird and downloaded the chemical  
compounds and the schematics on the base. Jack then waited till the jet was in it's hanger before  
flying slowly towards the hatch with his creator in his arms, like a mother carrying a baby.  
  
Malious was taken to a sharp bend in a river, one where the ground was covered in sand. Jack  
spent the next twelve hours digging the grave with his hands. Gently placing his master in the  
eight foot pit, Jack covered him gently.  
  
Placing a deep sand cover on the grave. Jack's eyes turned a milky white, as energy beams  
converted the sand into glass. The following was carved into the glass.   
  
Here lies Maelious Maximus, a man who spent his long life in  
pursuit of peace for all of mankind. May he find the peace   
he was denied in the last months of his life.  
  
Jack Cade, a robotic simulant, an artificial life form, kneeled at the foot of the grave and perhaps  
proved his humanity while grieving his masters' death in an act that was common to every  
human.  
  
He wept.  
  
Rogue, accompanied by Storm flew towards the grave and found Jacks body still kneeling at the  
foot of the grave, with the suns rays crawling over Jacks head and the tears making their way  
down his cheek.  
  
Rogue landed a respectful distance away and walked to his side. Together, eventually, they lifted  
off and made their way to the mansion.  
  
Gambit emerged from the mansion and stood directly in Jacks way. "Are you ready?"  
  
Sighing heavily and knowing the inevitability of it, Jack simply nodded. Rogue remained  
clueless until they arrived at the Danger room. Gambit walked in and the doors closed behind  
him. When they opened again, Jack kissed Rogue at the corner of her mouth and whispered  
quietly to her.  
  
"Don't worry." With that, Jack walked into the Danger room, and waited as the doors closed  
behind him, enveloping him in darkness.  
  
Going Rogue  
Part Four  
  
As soon as the doors closed and the darkness was complete, Jack stood tall and used his glove to  
access his night vision. As the room lit itself with it's green hue, Jack ducked as three small  
objects flew by his head only to explode as they hit the door behind him.  
  
The Danger room had numerous snares and traps. With the lack of light, Jack was given an  
unfair advantage. Switching to heat sensors. He quickly targeted Gambits body and fired stun  
blasts right by his head.  
  
"That should prove to you that I can function in the darkness. I can see you wherever you go in  
here. Why don't we simply settle this in the way of civilized men? We'll go up to the kitchen and  
we'll talk it out over a cup of coffee. What do you say?"  
  
Gambit's response was to turn on the light and throw a few more cards at Jack. "You stole her."  
Growled the man as he leapt behind numerous containers, each one capable of hiding his body  
heat.  
  
"Who?" Jack deactivated his heat and night vision functions. "Rogue?"  
  
Gambit jumped at Jack from behind. "Yeah, Rogue! Who else would I be talking about?"  
  
Turning to face his opponent, Jack caught Gambit's extended foot in the side of his ribs. Though  
he was a robot, the action still caused pain as Jack was thrown back from the momentum of the  
blow.  
  
Jack hit the dirt a few feet away.  
  
Dirt? Jack looked around himself as the Danger room converted itself into a beach. Twin moons  
hung over head. Jack switched his left eye to show the infrared spectrum. This way there would  
be no way for the illusion to conceal any dangerous traps.  
  
Gambit threw a few more cards and they caught Jack in the chest. His skin was blackened and  
his internal diagnostics told him that he had to play it low key or else he would have to risk  
major internal injuries.  
  
Gambit however was unaware of this fact as he pressed in and began attacking with his staff.  
Not that Jack would have expected something like his health to stop Gambits rampage.  
  
Jack stayed low and used his glove to create a wider stun beam. With the low power level  
required to fire the beam at stun level, plus the added diffusion of having the beam cover the  
larger area, it became quite a useless attack weapon. However, when Gambit threw some of his  
cards, Jack was able to use the weapon to detonate the charged cards from a safe distance.  
  
Suddenly the terrain began to change again. The shifting was swift, but it didn't catch Jack off  
guard as it did before. Jack was suddenly in a cylindrical room of metal. Mounted turrets began  
firing their volley. Jack watched as one burst of laser fire scorched the ground. Jacks eyes  
widened in shock. The beams had been set to a lethal level.  
  
Jack began flying around the room pulling the occasional loop here, or a roll there, narrowly  
escaping the touch of laser fire.   
  
As Jack was tied up neutralizing the laser turrets, Gambit was able to leave without challenge.  
  
Gambit smiled to himself as he sealed the door. He had no illusions that this would win Rogue  
back, but if he couldn't have her, this supped up, walking computer definitely wouldn't lay one  
mechanical hand on her ever again. Once the computer locks were in place, Gambit inserted a  
charged card in the recessed panel and then backed up a number of paces. Throwing his staff,  
Gambit watched with a wide-eyed madness as the wall erupted in smoke.  
  
Now they would have to cut the doors off in order to get to Jack, and he would be far, far away,  
maybe he would return to his bayou, or maybe he would travel to South America.  
  
Gambit strode forward and grabbed his staff and chuckled to himself. "Too bad Jack." He said  
aloud. "You lose."  
  
Just then the doors flew outward in a massive explosion that threw Gambit against a far wall.  
When the smoke cleared, Jack stood there wearing only the tattered remains of his jeans and t-  
shirt, a testament to narrow escapes and just how close those laser bolts came.  
  
Gambit sat looking up in fear at the mechanical man.  
  
Jack walked towards the X-man and grabbed him by the front of his coat. "You wouldn't leave  
without saying good bye to the X-men would you?" Gambit had not counted on meeting up with  
the others. If they found out about this, before he had left that would put a serious crimp in his  
plans.  
  
Jack lifted Gambit off the ground and started walking slowly towards the elevator.   
  
Gambit opened his palm and let a card slip from his sleeve to his waiting fingertips. Charging it,  
he flung it into Jacks surprised face.  
  
Jack collapsed on the floor, where he stood, Gambit bolted and gathered his bags before leaving  
the mansion.  
  
Beast and Rogue found the Danger room wide open and in a shambles. It would take Beast a  
month to get the Danger room up and running. As they checked the wreckage, Jack groaned  
aloud, drawing their attention.  
  
Beast and Rogue were able to get him to the infirmary, but once there they couldn't help Jack.  
  
Xavier and the rest of the X-men arrived at the infirmary as soon as they heard.  
  
Professor Xavier asked Jack who had done this too him, but Jack was having too much trouble  
speaking. Jack eventually asked to be left alone with Xavier.  
  
"Jack, I want to apologize to you. You have saved three of my students from certain death,  
another from blindness, and through out it all, I have treated you with suspicion. I should have  
trusted you more after your conflict with Sabertooth."  
  
"NNNNNN-ooooooooooo-ttttttttttttt SSSSaaaaaabbbbbbbbbbrtoooooooo" said Jack  
  
"Pardon?" asked Xavier.  
  
"Ssssiiiiiiiiiiiimmmulllllllllannnnnttttt" Jack squeezed his eyes shut for a moment and tried  
again, but his voice continued to fail him.  
  
Jack pointed at a laptop computer with a shaky arm.  
  
Xavier reached for it and handed it to him.  
  
Touching the screen, the glove leapt to life, extending a cord that snaked it's way into the drive  
socket of the laptop. Jack then caused the screen to become a black and yellow text began to  
float across the screen.  
  
SABERTOOTH IS ALIVE AND WELL. I FOUGHT A SIMULANT CREATED BY THOSE  
WHO SOUGHT TO DESTROY ME.  
  
Xavier read the screen and asked Jack again who had nearly destroyed him.  
  
MY FIGHT IS WITH GAMBIT ALONE. LET NO X-MAN FIGHT GAMBIT OVER ME. HE  
SHALL FIGHT HIS OWN DEMONS. IN TIME, PERHAPS I WILL BE ONE OF THEM.  
  
The words nagged at the professor. "Is there anything that we can do? Perhaps you could be  
repaired at the Island."  
  
THEY WERE ALREADY PACKING FROM YOUR FIRST VISIT. BY NOW THEY ARE ON  
THEIR WAY TO A NEW LOCATION. WHAT THEY DO NOT TAKE, THEY WILL SURELY  
DESTROY.  
  
I AM FINISHED. MY DAMAGE IS TOO SEVERE. I ESTIMATE A WEEK BEFORE TOTAL  
SYSTEMS FAILURE.  
  
"Rest now. We will speak again later." Xavier left the room and allowed Rogue and Beast to  
return.  
  
Rogue immediately sat by Jacks side. Beast began studying the power systems, hoping to find  
some way to prolong Jacks life.  
  
Xavier's chair turned and slid down the hall. He heard footsteps follow him to his office.  
Without using his powers, he could still identify the click of the high-heeled boots that belonged  
to Storm.  
  
"What is it Storm?" asked the Professor.  
  
"Beast told me that there was a great similarity between Jack's systems and the technology used  
by the Shi'ar. Do you think the Empress might be able to help us?"  
  
"I don't know. However, I will try to have her come. I owe him no less."  
  
Jack wavered between a conscious and an unconscious state. Rogue was barely aware of  
Xavier's plan to ask Lilandra for help.  
  
On one of the few times she left Jacks side, she heard Lilandra's voice over the speakers in the  
communications room. Rogue was just about to turn around the corner in the hallway when she  
realized what that meant.   
  
Lilandra was in the solar system. She had come!  
  
When she returned to Jacks side, she told him the good news. Jack's eyes dimmed a bit but  
regained their inner light.  
  
I MUST REST....  
...  
...  
REMEMBER THIS ABOVE ALL...  
  
"IIIIIIIIIIIIII LLLLLLLLLLLLOOOOOOVVVVEEEE YYYoooouuuuuuu.........."  
Jack's body looked as though a giant shadow was passing over it.  
  
Rogue's eyes squeezed shut and lay her head on his gloved hand.  
  
Lilandra arrived with a dozen guardian ships surrounding the mansion. Gladiator was by her side  
as she strode down the hallways. The infirmary had Beast sitting by the main terminal where he  
could review the information running up the screen. At least he was supposed to be reviewing  
the screen, but the long hours and high stress levels had exhausted him and he sat sleeping as  
reflected lines of text slipped up his glasses.  
  
Lilandra softly touched his shoulder, which woke him gently. His embarrassment was eased as  
her smile conveyed her look of understanding, and the high regard she held of him. Numerous  
times she had stumbled upon her own doctors and scientists in such a state. They had learned to  
conceal their situation, but it still occurred.  
  
Lilandra then walked to Jack's table. She examined the read outs and had them transmitted to the  
mother ship, where the scientists analyzed it.  
  
"Empress Lilandra, the machine is, in fact, a divergent piece of our technology. He shows  
definite signs of Shi'ar influence, however the programming is definitely not the work of any  
Shi'ar. It goes far beyond what we are capable." The transmission was cut short at that point.  
  
"What are your recommendations?" asked Lilandra. Her voice had softened as she watched  
Rogue peacefully sitting by Jack's side.  
  
"Termination is demanded. Such are the rules of contact. All traces of our contact with such a  
low technological world must be eliminated. These are the rules of our empire. We cannot  
interfere. Such a rule cannot be broken."  
  
"Remember who you are talking to!" hissed the Shi'ar Empress.  
  
"Forgive me your highness, but of all the rules, I have felt that this one is the most important."  
  
The effort to remain calm was great but came swiftly. "We will talk later of these things. In the  
mean time, you will come up with a way of saving this creation, or else I will find a new court  
appointed Head of Science. One that will not ask where their predecessor has gone to."  
  
"As you wish, Empress."   
  
"And by the way, I want it by this points night fall. Understood?"  
  
"Yes, Empress."  
  
Rogue awoke as Lilandra approached.  
  
"Can ya help him?" She asked. One look and Lilandra could see that Rogue had cried in her  
sleep.  
  
"Yes Rogue, I believe we can, though how is yet to be determined."  
  
By sun down, the scientists had determined a temporary procedure.  
  
"Your highness, the power requirements to bring him to full function is quite high. There seem  
to be nanites in his system that would normally repair the minor damage to his system.  
Unfortunately there is very little left. We could pump him full of energy but we would either  
help him or fry his system." The scientist had even more bad news. "Either way, his  
programming would be erased. From the sheer magnitude of the energy involved."  
  
It was then that a familiar presence filled the mansion. Jean Grey was the first to sense it, but the  
others also knew of its' touch.  
  
The Phoenix had returned.  
  
Jack awoke and the cord left his glove searching for the computer. Rogue held it up for him.  
  
ARE YOU REALLY AN EMPRESS?  
  
"Yes, I am." Replied Lilandra softly.  
  
I'VE NEVER MET ONE BEFORE. I'M SORRY I CANNOT BOW, OR KNEEL OR  
WHATEVER, BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, I'M HAVING A FEW TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES  
RIGHT NOW. A pained smile crossed his face.  
  
"I quite understand. We have a process that may grant you life, but there is a strong chance that it  
will wipe your program."  
  
I FIGURED THAT I WOULD DIE HERE. A CHANCE AT LIFE IS MORE THAN NOTHING. I  
ASK TWO THINGS OF BOTH OF YOU. IF I DIE HERE THEN BURY ME BY MY  
CREATOR. BUT BEFORE YOU DO, PLACE MY GLOVE ON MY HAND ONCE MORE.  
  
"We promise."  
  
I MUST REST NOW. TAKE MY GLOVE ROGUE AND KEEP IT SAFE.  
  
The glove once again retracted its cord and a hiss emerged. Rogue pulled the glove off of his  
hand and kissed his cheek.  
  
Lilandra took Jack's body up to her ship. He wavered in and out of consciousness. "IIIIII  
THHHHHAAAANNNKKKKKK YYYYOOUUU...."  
  
Lilandra took Jack into the lab and watched as they began the final preparations for the  
procedure.  
  
Jack awoke once more, and there was no one in his field of vision. "HHHHHEEELLLLLPPPPP  
MMMMEEEEEeeeeeeeeeee!"  
  
Jack's cries of panic could only be heard as the lab technicians hit the last switch. Lilandra  
watched as the body convulsed with every kilowatt of power pumped into the body.  
  
The body fell limp as the power generators finished their work.  
  
Jack's power systems bottomed out and he shut down exactly three minutes after he reached the  
infirmary.  
  
Beast comforted Rogue as Jacks body was transported to the grave of his creator. Maelious  
Maximus. Everyone left Lilandra and Rogue as they performed the last wish of Jack Cade.  
  
As Jack's glove was placed on his hand, Rogue began to fall apart. She knew it was Gambits  
jealousy that had killed Jack. She put that in and held herself solely responsible for Jack's  
condition.  
  
In the end she fell across Jacks chest, and cried. The Phoenix came and entered the mind of  
Lilandra. Sharing its discoveries, Lilandra nodded and with a smile pressed on the palm of Jacks  
glove. Turning she returned to the mansion and left.  
  
About ten minutes later Rogue felt the lightest of touches on her hair. She looked up and saw  
Jack looking back at her. His voice was weak. "So this is heaven? Nice looking angels."  
  
Jack was almost killed again by the bear hug Rogue gave him.  
  
"I'll kill you if you ever do that to me again." She told him once she had finally let go.  
  
"Don't worry. I don't plan on dying again anytime soon." Jack's voice was weak but Rogue felt  
that he would grow stronger.  
  
Jack cautiously stood, and had it not been for Rogue steadying him, he would have fallen back  
down again. Together they walked to the mansion.   
  
Rogue called into the mansion from the door. "Guess who I found laz'n about by the river."  
  
Everyone but the professor was there to see Jack standing there at the door. It took all of two  
seconds for them to recognize who was with her.  
  
Jubilee and Storm ran up to assist Jack to the couch. Once there they both wouldn't leave him  
alone. Jack looked to Rogue to save him, but she just laughed and went to share the news with  
the professor.  
  
Jack looked a little uncertain. Wolverine just laughed at it.  
  
"Hey Storm, you and the kid had better back off. Jack looks like he could use some air. It's not  
every day that he dies on us."  
  
Jack stood up and citing a need to rest, he left and only after much polite persistence did he  
leave Jubilee and Storm outside his room.  
  
Jack picked up the phone and called Beast.  
  
Beast arrived five minutes later.  
  
"I must admit, my friend, that you had me worried for a while. I wasn't sure you would survive.  
What happened up there?"  
  
"I don't know." Jack looked uneasy. "I mean I know this sounds strange but I don't have a clue  
what happened. The last thing I remember was lying in the infirmary, and the next thing, I'm  
outside and there's Rogue."  
  
"Is there any discontinuity in your memory? What I mean is was there a time of darkness before  
you awoke by the river?"  
  
"I'm not sure. I remember something. It was big... and fire... and... and it spoke to me! But I can't  
remember what it said."  
  
Beast knew what it was but he wanted to be sure. Jack called it a presence, but he wasn't sure.  
"Perhaps it was just a dream." Said Jack, unsure of this. "So much for androids dreaming of  
electric sheep." He just tried to laugh it off.  
  
Jack watched as Beast smiled slightly. "I'm sorry that was a baa-a-a-ad pun." Beast rolled his  
eyes as he got up to go.  
  
Jack called out to Beast as he reached the door. "Listen. I want to thank you for all you did for  
me. You helped me when I was in a bad spot and I appreciate it."  
  
Beast only nodded and left.  
  
Jack took off his glove, which hissed as the seal was disengaged. He closed his eyes and tried to  
sleep. Instead his mind raced.  
  
I grew up in a loving home. My parents didn't understand, or perhaps understood too well, what  
was happening to me, what I went through as a child. Jacks mind raced with memories. My dog  
Sam, the brainless wiener dog. We had a heck of a time dressing him up that halloween as a  
super hero, with his little red cape and blue shirt. Which memories were real? Which ones were  
constructs? Did those people even exist?  
  
Jack felt a tug, he felt drawn to the window somehow. There on the lawn was his mother and  
father. They were calling to him. Jack jumped from the window and landed on his feet. Walking  
to his parents, Jack was about to ask them what they were doing here, when his world spin on its  
ear.  
  
Falling to the ground Jack fought to stand but was in a losing battle. Eventually he curled up in a  
ball and shuddered.  
  
Jack looked up from the ground and saw the image of his parents fall away. Their faces replaced  
by two all too familiar. Jack then lost consciousness.  
  
A few hours later, Rogue and Jean Grey went up to Jacks room, where they found the door  
locked. Rogue had a bad feeling. Something didn't sit right with her. She asked Jean if she could  
open the door.  
  
Jean popped the lock with her telekinetic powers. Once inside, they found Jack's bed empty and  
the window open. Looking out the window, Rogue could see the deep imprints left by Jacks feet  
as he had landed.  
  
"I've got a bad feeling about this Jean." Said Rogue.  
  
Jean looked around the room and saw the glove as it lay on the bedside table. Jack hadn't gone  
anywhere without it since his rescue mission.  
  
Hundreds of miles away, at a special underground facility in Texas, Jack awoke to see five men  
standing before him. The first was a Cade unit. There was also Trask, Gyrich, Creed and another  
man standing in the shadows.  
  
Jack watched as the mystery man stepped forward. Slowly he emerged and Jack knew how they  
had taken him without tripping the security system.  
  
"Hey Gambit, if you wanted a rematch this badly, then you could have just asked." Jacks smart  
tounge failed him, however, as his body was filled with pain.  
  
"Now you know the price of flippancy with your superiors. You will obey us or you will be  
destroyed." Gyrich licked his lips as he lit Jack's pain receptors on fire a second and third time.  
  
Jack wept as he sucked in his breath. The pain was beyond what any human being could endure.  
Since he was not human, part of his mind asked how far the pain could go.  
  
Going Rogue  
Part 5  
  
The X-men descended on the communications room. Using the Shi'ar ships in high orbit, Beast  
and Storm began scanning the planet for traces of the alien energy used to revitalize Jacks body.  
Cyclops, Wolverine and Rogue began loading up the Blackbird.   
  
Xavier was in his office telepathically speaking with Lilandra. "Lilandra, we are very thankful  
for your aid in this matter. But it seems that our troubles are not yet behind us. Shortly after Jack  
was reactivated, he was taken from us. Our security system has not recorded what happened.  
This may have been the act of a former member of our team."  
  
"I see Charles. I cannot actively search for your robot, because once found my people might  
press the issue and I would have to enforce the laws of my people." The empress gave a mental  
sigh. "The laws of the Shi'ar state that the sharing of technology with technologically inferior  
people is expressly forbidden. If the Shi'ar takes issue with this, then the robot will have to be  
destroyed, as the technology was taken in your civilizations childhood. I have a few pieces to  
research, but I am not sure I can save your robot."  
  
Xaviers mind raced but Lilandras mind knew where his thoughts would go. "There will be no  
recourse such as the duel fought by the X-men in order to save Jean and the Phoenix. The laws  
are quite clear. I will do what I can."  
  
With that the two minds receded back to their bodies. Xavier turned to Jean who was organizing  
the efforts of the teams and got an update.  
  
Beast reported in that he had found Jack in Texas and that the specific co-ordinates were already  
being transferred to the Blackbird.  
  
The Blackbird launched into the air and flew at maximum velocity to save Jack.  
  
In the Texas compound, Gyrich was having enormous fun tormenting Jack. Trask and Creed  
were analyzing the internal workings of Jack for the last time.  
  
"Can we insert the control devices accurately?" asked Trask. "From what I can see, he has  
proved stronger than anticipated, and you have no reason why he was able to access the dormant  
weapons systems."  
  
"I spent my time in hiding well. I have learned all I could about the man who created this bucket  
of bolts. I learned all about his projects, and how they worked. I may not be able to fully  
comprehend all the knowledge he amassed, but who could since it took him a few thousand  
years to gather it in the first place."  
  
Trask pinched the bridge of his nose as he fought the oncoming headache. "My concern is not  
whether or not you comprehend his work. My concern is whether or not we can control this unit.  
His abilities are unique. His plans showed creativity and that alone would allow our units to  
eradicate those filthy mutants once and for all. Imagine, not having to give new orders every  
time they hit a snag. Imagine the intelligence we could gather if they could act like living  
beings."  
  
Just then alarms sounded throughout the base. Trask called Gyrich in to the room. "You two get  
the implants in the Cade unit. I will dispatch our own units to deal with the intruders.  
  
Jack looked up at the swirling red lights on the walls. The sound ment something to him and it  
was important to remember. But all he could remember was the pain.  
  
Slowly his mind emerged from the fog of pain and he knew that they were here. He knew that  
the X-men would fight for him just as he would for them. Gambit strode forward and bent over  
Jack.  
  
"I hope they get here soon. I don't know how much longer we will last." Jack heard Gambits  
words and nodded. Jack nodded and whispered to Gambit. "I know the truth, and though I  
couldn't at first, I forgive you. Now go, Gyrich will be here soon. Go to your team. Tell them that  
I hold salvation in my hands. I hope they understand. Go." Gambit stiffly walked out of the  
room. Jack hoped that he was right.  
  
Both Gambit and Jack knew that from this point on they were on their own.  
  
Gyrich forced Jack to move through the halls to the operating room.  
  
The Blackbird flew low, into to the compound and dropped off the bulk of the team. Only  
Jubilee and Beast remained in the Blackbird. Jubilee had received basic flight training and Beast  
had to stay near the portable medical facilities.  
  
Cyclops opened fire on the compound, taking out a wall of the main house. Storm called down  
hurricane winds to sweep Cade units away. Jean, Rogue and Wolverine made their way to the  
main house only to find it the peak of a large underground complex.  
  
Wolverine sniffed the spiraling path and smelled a familiar scent. Gambit was coming up.  
Wolverine ran forward and grabbed Gambit by the shoulders before throwing him to the ground.  
"Tell me why I shouldn't carve you up like a Christmas turkey, Cajin!"  
  
"Get Jean to scan my mind Logan, she'll see." Wolverine looked up to Jean and she closed her  
eyes. Images assaulted her mind until she found the rythem of gambits mind. Suddenly images  
played in her head like a movie.  
  
Gambit upset at losing Rogue to Jack.  
Gambit was leaving the mansion to go and think, narrowly missed Rogues car as she pulled up to  
the main gates with Jack in the passenger seat.  
  
Seeing a memory that Gambit pushed at her, Jean paid special attention to it.  
  
Gambit arrived at a small bar with a seedy atmosphere. He grabbed a stool at the bar and ordered  
a shot of the barkeeps strongest stuff, along with the bottle. He sat there and got himself drunk  
and then just as he was about to get up and leave, Trask stepped up and injected something into  
his system.  
  
Jean watched as Gambit was dragged out of the bar and thrown into the trunk of a car. When he  
was brought out he was only semi-conscious but he felt himself being given another injection  
and then him passing out. When he came too he was no longer in control of his body, they sent  
him back to the mansion with what ever it was that was controlling him. It tapped into certain  
areas of the brain triggering emotional outbursts and playing him like a tool. Worse yet, he  
couldn't tell anyone.  
  
Jean watched as he later fought with Jack, felt the desperation in his mind. "I'll get him to Beast.  
You two go on with out me."  
  
Outside, Cyclops and Storm were proving a formidable team against the Cade units. Cyclops  
would destroy boulders or parts of the building to send more rubble into Storms tornado. The  
rubble traveling at incredible speeds would slam into the flying units. Storm eventually lifted off  
and guided the tornado off to a canyon where she could dump the now damaged units.  
  
Cyclops ran over to the house where Jean was aiding Gambit back to the Blackbird. Together the  
three of them were able to get Gambit on board and into the confines of the medical facilities.  
  
Jack, deep within the facility, looked around the operating room. He knew that they wanted him  
to get onto the table, but instead he resisted. Pain was his reward. His knees buckled, and he felt  
like his stomach was being torn out.  
  
Rogue and Wolverine worked their way down the spiraling ramp. Wolverine could hear many  
booted feet coming. Smiling, he grabbed a little trinket he had snatched from the armory.  
  
Handing the item to Rogue, he smiled and Rogue understood exactly what he wanted her to do.  
  
Smiling herself now, Rogue pulled the pin, kissed the grenade and rolled it down the ramp. The  
grenade rolled down passed the guards, and went off right behind them. They were thrown  
forward by the blast, only to be carved up by Wolverines claws. Rogue stalled the Cade units just  
long enough for Wolverine to incapacitate and/or decapitate them.  
  
When Jack regained consciousness, Gyrich told him to get on the table a second time. Again he  
refused, only to receive the pain again. Gyrich called a Cade Unit and ordered it to place the still  
writhing Jack on the table.  
  
"You forced me to use a Cade unit." Gyrich chided Jack. "You are a bad little robot. Did you  
really think that she could ever really love you? Did you think that you could fit in?" Gyrich  
turned his back to Jack long enough for him and Creed to set the equipment for the operation.  
  
Seeing his chance, Jack roared and lunged at Gyrich, knocking the pain trigger out of his hands  
and to the ground where it fell to pieces.  
  
Jack fell to the ground, on his hands and knees, breathing hard from the exertion.  
  
Suddenly he was filled with pain once again. "Did you really think I wouldn't carry an extra  
remote? I am really disappointed with you Jack."  
  
Jack grimaced through the waves of pain and bit out "I'm really broken up about it." Gyrich,  
angered by his words, kicked Jack in the ribs, but Jack grabbed the foot and felt the crunch of  
broken bones as he applied pressure. Jack smiled through the next few doses of the pain.  
  
Creed shouted at Gyrich to stop using the remote, but Gyrich, driven mad(a short trip by Creeds  
accounts), never stopped holding down the buttons. Finally Jack felt what he took to be a good  
sign. The pain was subsiding. This meant that the batteries were running down.  
  
Jack slowly stood up and punched Gyrich square in the jaw. Creed fired up the operating lasers  
required to puncture Jacks skin, and began firing at him.  
  
Jack was weak and still recovering from the pain, but Creed wasn't used to using the lasers as a  
weapon either. Shot after shot struck the wall around Jacks moving body. When Jack was struck  
in the lower arm, his hand fell to the ground. Before Creed could fire the lasers again, Jack  
grabbed the Cade unit and threw him infront of the laser. The resulting explosion knocked the  
lasers off line.  
  
Jack picked up his hand by the four inches of fore arm and examined the damage. Well, there  
was no way that he could reattach the hand now. However, he could do something with it.  
  
Rogue and Wolverine charged down the hallways searching for Jack. Wolverine saw several  
damaged units retreat into a room, only to be replaced by fresh troops.  
  
Wolverine ran into the room and stared for a moment in wonder. All around the room were  
thirty seven green tubes. Only one seemed different than the others. Wolverine watched as the  
damaged units entered the tubes, were repaired and re-emerged.  
  
"Rogue! Get those tubes, we have to destroy them so that those units won't be able to  
regenerate." Wolverine began slashing through the hoards of robotic fury, until he finally worked  
his way to an occupied tube. Once a tube was damaged, the damaged unit inside began to  
dissolve, rapidly eaten away by uncontrollable nanites.  
  
Each tube was numbered. They destroyed thirty six of the tubes, and wolverine was just  
finishing up the last of the cade units in the room when Rogue saw the designation on the final  
tube.  
  
The copper plate on the top of the tube had been lovingly crafted. In gentle sweeping strokes the  
name JACK was carved. Looking down at the side of the tube, Rogue saw that a stray energy  
bolt had struck the tubes console.  
  
She quickly called Beast down and left instructions for him to repair the tube as best he could.  
  
Jack finished the quick patch job. Using the lasers batteries, he had been able to slap together a  
sort of portable gun, by using the weapon system in the severed hand.  
  
Jack then ran from the room with his hand in hand and made his way down the halls.  
  
Creed barged into the main control room and saw Trask quickly losing control of a bad situation.  
Outside the forces had been wiped out and only six of the units were still responding. Trask  
looked up and simply told Creed to get ready to evacuate the base.  
  
Creed told Trask the trouble with Jack. "Very well. In light of the situation, failure will be  
allowed due to our lack of sufficient support. We will meet in Florida, where we will reorganize.  
Now leave. I'll set the self-destruct for five minutes."  
  
Creed turned and ran. Trask watched the security cameras track a giant blue furred mutant run  
into the regeneration chamber along with the traitorous Gambit. Smiling, Trask set the timer for  
five minutes and grabbed a remote device from his pocket.  
  
Jack was staggering through the halls, holding his head high. If he was going down, then he was  
going to go down with honor. A Cade unit spotted him and Jack shot the unit straight through the  
head. He looked at the power level and saw that it had enough for perhaps one, maybe two shots  
before it was useless.  
  
Rogue and Wolverine found Jack as he stamped on the Cade units smoldering head.  
  
Jack stuck his tongue and chuckled at the downed robot.  
  
Rogue called out to Jack. He turned and raised his severed hand before relaxing. "Damn it, girl!  
You are a sight for sore eyes!"  
  
Rogue embraced Jack warmly. "Come on. Let's get you out of here."  
  
"I can't go yet. I need to get repaired or else I wont make it back. My systems have been  
damaged to the point where the open wound on my arm is placing a major drain on my internal  
nanites. They are trying to repair me but they cannot go fast enough to stop the power drain."  
Jack smiled weakly. "I guess you could say I'm bleeding to death."  
  
"But Jack, we found this large tube with your name on it. The other units were..."  
  
"You found my birthing tube? I can get full repairs done there. Please take me there. You didn't  
by any chance bring my glove did you?"  
  
Rogue held out the garment. Jack took the glove and went in to kiss her, when Wolverine  
informed them that they could "suck face" later. Jack laughed and Rogue blushed. The three of  
them hurried to the birthing tube.  
  
Beast was working on the console, but wasn't able to do much. Looking up, the blue furred  
mutant apologized for not making much headway.  
  
Rogue helped Jack as he staggered forward. Sitting down next to the tube Jack took a closer  
look.  
  
Checking the console, Jack found a small access port in the side that looked clear. Placing his  
glove next to the port, the glove snaked a jack into the port and Jack's mind fired through the  
system. Suddenly, a splash of sparks exploded from the console.  
  
"Sorry bout that!" said Jack's body as he stared forward blindly. "I just put too much stress on a  
secondary port. Get Gambit into the tube first I can run the system from here.  
  
Rogue and Wolverine stepped aside as Gambit walked in. Once inside, the tube was sealed and  
the green goop enveloped him.  
  
Gambit's body went slack as his nerve center was kept in a sort of neural stasis. The back of his  
neck was opened to reveal a metallic worm with numerous tendrils jutting out from its body at  
strange points. Once removed, the wound was healed at the cellular level and Gambit's body was  
released from the tube.   
  
His breathing was ragged, but he would survive. Beast looked at the goop as it seemed to draw to  
a single point on the floor. Jack looked at the goop with sightless eyes and suddenly the goop  
lurched towards the console. Strands of the green substance snaked out to the other damaged  
tubes and took materials from them. In thirty seconds, the goop returned to the Tube.  
  
Just then Trask entered. "You will pay for all you have done." He said in his low voice. "You  
have ruined my plans for the last time. This remote will not only detonate the control device in  
your friend Gambit's head, but will also initiate the self-destruct system for the entire  
compound."  
  
"You want me, right Trask?" Demanded Jack.  
  
"It's too late for that. You wont escape this time." Trask laughed at the mutants.  
  
"What do you mean this time?" asked Jack. "I don't think I have ever seen you before in my life."  
  
"Your mind was part program, and part organic. The mind of a young mutant was used in the  
initial experiments. He later escaped, but not before we had what we needed from him. You are  
partly him and part of poor, foolish Maximus' program."  
  
Trask was done chatting. Ordering everyone to the other side of the room, Trask walked up to  
the tube. "I will now embrace immortality!" he said as he typed in a few commands at the  
console.  
  
Jack was struggling to disengage himself from the tube, but the cord was fused in place.  
  
Trask saw the frantic Jack trying to break free, and smiled as he hit the door opening sequence.  
  
Jack was roughly kicked out of the way. "This tube can stop the aging process in any man."  
Laughed Trask. "I will destroy all mutants and make sure they are gone for the rest of time."  
  
Jack nursed his gloved hand like a broken arm as he lay on the ground.  
  
"Jack are you okay?" called Rogue. Trask stepped into the tube, but before it closed, he spotted  
and kicked the brain implant out of there.  
  
The metallic worm skittered across the floor and bounced off of Jacks back. Trask was still  
laughing as the tube began to fill with the Nanite Nutrient bath.  
  
The green goop turned a bright yellow from all the energy being pumped into Trask's body.  
  
Jack rolled over and grabbed the worm. A hard throw sent the worm spiraling through the air  
until it's metallic spikes penetrated the tubes face.  
  
The X-men ran to their friend as he came to his feet.  
  
Cyclops, and Jean arrived just in time to see Rogue and Jack hug for a moment before Jack  
pulled away. "I love you Rogue." With that he aimed his severed hand at her and hit her with a  
stun beam.  
  
"Get her out of here. Take good care of her." Jack then turned and walked towards the tube.  
Cyclops understood and ordered everyone out, and thankfully Wolverine decided to follow  
orders for once.  
  
Trask was slowly beginning to sense that something was wrong.  
  
"You want to live forever, huh?" Asked Jack. "You want to destroy all mutants?" He shook his  
head in disgust. "Maelious Maximus said that mutants popped up when ever there was a great  
danger that threatened the planet."  
  
Jack walked around the tube slowly, maintaining a watchful eye on Trask. "These mutant  
abilities rise up until the threat is neutralized. Now, I have found that there are numerous threats  
here on Earth."  
  
Jack stopped at the control console and traced a finger along the outer curvature before walking  
back around the tube.  
  
"Deforestation, pollution, you name it, we got it. And to top it all off, you want to destroy all  
those people gifted with the tools to save the planet. You could have used your influence to help  
us, but you tried to destroy us." Jack turned his back on the tube and went to the open door of the  
room.  
  
Trask smirked as Jack turned back.  
  
Jack turned to Trask and smiled. "What? You thought I was going to leave you like this?" He  
laughed a bit and then held up his severed hand. "You don't know Jack." With that, Jack fired at  
the worm, which promptly blew up in Trasks face.  
  
Jack knew there was no way for him to escape, his power levels were too low for him to hurry,  
and he knew that he would take too long to make it down the hall. Jack looked up as the  
evacuation alarm went off. "I hope you will escape my love." With that thought in mind, Jack sat  
in the corner and watched as the uncontrolled Nanites went berserk and dissolved Trasks body.  
  
Removing the glove, Jack thought about how far he had come. He thought about the woman that  
he loved, the good he had done. He hoped that all that he had done was enough.  
  
The light appeared as his power wavered above zero. He knew a hand touched him and then all  
was darkness.  
  
Wolverine carried Rogue as the X-men all emerged from the quaking base. An explosion  
sounded deep within the facility and more explosions as the base self-destruction soon followed  
it. Storm and Jubilee flew the Blackbird through the turbulent skies as chunks of rock and  
vegetation flew by the window.  
  
In the end it was a clean escape, though all members found the Blackbird a little empty as they  
returned.  
  
Follow up mission turned up no trace of Trask, Creed or Gyrich. When they combed the room  
once filled with birthing tubes, Gambit found Jacks glove in a corner. But where was Jack? With  
all the nanites around, it was possible that Jack could have been destroyed.  
  
And so it was with a heavy heart that the X-men presented Rogue with Jacks glove.  
  
Gambit soon returned to his home in the swamps of New Orleans for a bit of rest and  
recuperation.  
  
Rogue however, became withdrawn and stayed in her room a lot more. Jacks death had hit her  
hard and it took a number of months until Rogue would go out with Storm and Jean.  
  
But eventually life returned to normal as fall approached. Xavier had dispatched Cyclops and  
Jean on a round of recruitment and more students began to arrive for instruction.  
  
Life would continue. It never stays the same, but as long as life continued the X-men knew that  
they would survive. 


	2. Edge and Beyond (Part A)

The Edge and Beyond

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

By Andrew Montgomery

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  
  
  
  
  
  


The room was dark and filled with neatly packaged scrap. Pillar after pillar stood, row upon row, filling a chamber as big as a football stadium or two. In one of the pillars, one soul reached out to it's battered and broken body. It's silent cry however reached that which seemed denied to him. There was no energy in his body, nothing to fuel his muscles, but yet they moved.

  
  


Alarms were sounded as metal was heard to groan under the pressure of his force. Slowly the dura-plex stretched and gave way to his hand. Once outside, his hand clenched into a fist, that which was a symbol of strength and defiance.

  
  


Commander Tarl was large, even for his own species. He had heard of the human race and the rumours that the Shi'ar had initiated contact with them as a direct breach of the Alliance Imperatives.

  
  


Commander Tarl stormed out of his personal quarters when he heard the alarms sound. Tarl slung his gun-belt around his waist and hit a communications panel in the hall. "Tarl here! What's the problem?"he demanded.

  
  


"Sensors indicate there is audio stimulus in the Cargo area. All hands have reported and there are no authorized personnel in the area. Sensors cannot however identify any unauthorized personnel or erroneous power source."

  
  


"I'm on my way." Growled the lizard-like alien. His long, powerful legs ate up the distance in short order.

  
  


Tarl stormed through the decks and entered the storage bay. His sharp eyes scanned each pillar until he found the small hand sticking out of the pillar. Barking some orders he waited impatiently until the salvage crew arrived to take the pillar to the labs.

  
  


When the small robotic form was laid out, the head of the salvage team announced that though there were definite signs of Shi'ar technology, there was a sophistication that was unseen so far in the lower echelons of the Alliance. Tarl, examining the readouts, suspected the technology to be comparable to some of the more senior members. The salvage crew, upon orders from Tarl began to assemble the machine.

  
  


Whoever had taken the machine apart had taken great pride in their work. The Salvage crew however had the skills to match their job. The skeletal structure was, for the most part, repaired, but there were several pieces missing.

  
  


"Commander Tarl," began the master salvage engineer. "It appears that the unit has a nanite repair system that will begin upon a systems re-activation command. In addition there appear to be several systems that were unable to be accessed by the systems mainframe with out a key of sorts, so we have bypassed the lockout altogether to allow full access."

  
  


"So?" inquired Tarl impatiently. "What is the hold up?"

  
  


"One of the universal guide lines are that you cannot create nothing from something. It is impossible. His nanites will turn to the surrounding objects and even life forms to assimilate the necessary materials to exist."

  
  


Tarl grinned. Life was full of risks, and he was a full hearted gambler in such matters. Pulling out his pistol, he aimed it at the master salvage engineer and bared his teeth in his own version of a grin.

  
  


"Activate systems now or you can die." Tarl seemed calm and determined. Not one person on the ship, not even the captain was fool enough to contradict him in times such as this.

  
  


The engineer trembled as he walked over to the wall and activated the process that would bring life to the metallic skeleton.

  
  


Slowly at first, but soon energy was flowing into the machine like a river running to an ocean. Tarl's eyes followed the climb of the voltage meter as the readout climbed.

  
  


A small body huddled close to Tarl's leg. Looking down he saw that it was his mates young. She tilted her head and quietly called his name to know who it was she had clung to. Tarl's long powerful tail wrapped around her and squeezed her painfully for a moment before it relaxed enough to merely guide her about.

  
  


The pain was accepted as punishment for leaving her quarters and for entering a forbidden section. When she returned to her rooms, she would be punished more, but Tarl was excited. The machine's body was gaining more power, which translated directly to how fast the body sought out and converted the surrounding environment to fit it's needs to repair.

  
  


One of the workers stood too close and a section of his leg was dissolved much to his agony.

The rust coloured skin, the blood, it was all used in the body. Artificial blood packs were established, the skin was processed and the body soon became covered in skin.

  
  


The injured crewman was shot by Tarls own gun, for no other reason than his cries of agony were detracting from the mood.

  
  


The body was finished in all of five minutes. The power was automatically disengaged and Tarl looked upon his new possession which blinked at the bright light above him.

  
  


Rising with a groan, he looked at his body and found found himself covered in a light coating of a rapidly browning nanite solution.

  
  


"I am Jack Cade." said the machine with a hesitant voice. "Who-where-what is going on?"

  
  


"You were given up for scrap and I have claimed you. You will serve me here on this ship."

  
  


Jack looked at him with an incredulous look. "I am a free man and am a servant of no one but myself. I will work to clear my debt, but I will not be owned."

  
  


Tarl sneered. "You are in no position to argue. You will serve me or you will be jettisoned. You have cost us a great deal of resources. But I give you my word that if you serve well, you will be set free when you have worked off your debt. Plus there are more ways than one to earn your freedom. Until then you will be my bond servant are we clear?"

  
  


One of the engineers leaned over to Jack. "Do as he says and chances are you will not be destroyed outright. But if you say no, you will be destroyed without a thought. He craves power, but for the most part he keeps his word."

  
  


Jack took a breath and let it out slowly, almost in a hiss. "We will see how things go, for now. I will serve on your word that I will be set free when my time is done."

  
  


Jack spent that first month in maintenance. His hand blasters were focussed to welding torches and with his creativity he proved himself to be quite a valuable tool.

  
  


He rarely saw Commander Tarl, and when he did, it was always brief and Tarl was needed elsewhere.

  
  


Finally, during the ships down time, when he was allowed to do as he desired, Jack pressed the pad next to Tarls private quarters. The door opened and it was not Tarl who stood there but one of his mates.

  
  


Jack looked at her and though she appeared to be human, something didn't quite feel right. No. Not human, but something physically close.

  
  


"Can I help you?" she asked softly.

  
  


Jack realized that he had been staring and apologized. "Sorry about that. Uh- I was looking for Commander Tarl... You wouldn't know where he would be would you?"

  
  


"One moment." With that the door closed and Jack could barely make out the sound of a yelp of pain. When the door opened again, Jack saw the woman on the floor with a red mark across her face.

  
  


The towering lizard tried to cow the young man before him, but Jack simply stared back at him and got back to business. "You said that I could earn my way free faster. How?"

The smile made a shiver run up Jack's back, but he hid it well. "The reward is matched by the risk, are you sure?"

  
  


"Try me." Tarl grudgingly allowed a moment of respect to pass between them. This machine had spunk. But a moment was all it lasted.

  
  


"Very well, meet me here in one hour. I'll show you what it will take."


End file.
